United Nations officials have voiced concerns about a potential health crisis in Myanmar after last Friday's powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which resulted in thousands of deaths, injuries, or missing persons.
Dr. Fernando Thushara, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Myanmar, reported dwindling medical supplies, power disruptions in hospitals, and shortages of running water.
He also warned that fuel shortages were affecting power generators, further straining health facilities. “A lack of fresh water and sanitation could lead to outbreaks of infectious diseases unless we act swiftly to contain them,” Dr. Thushara said.
Tom Fletcher, Head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), stressed that the response has been severely hindered by a lack of funding, in addition to extensive damage to infrastructure.
Julia Rees, Deputy Representative of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Myanmar, said the needs on the ground were escalating by the hour. “Entire communities have been flattened,” she noted, adding that children and families were sleeping in the open with no homes to return to.
“The window for lifesaving response is closing,” she warned, as families across the affected areas face severe shortages of clean water, food and medical supplies. Aid efforts remain extremely difficult, with teams operating without electricity or sanitation, and sleeping outdoors alongside the communities they serve.
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