What's happening in Myanmar
Save the Children is responding to a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake which struck Myanmar on Friday 28th March, with tremors causing destruction elsewhere in the region.
It is the strongest earthquake to hit Myanmar in a century.
A week on, thousands of children and families are homeless and have nothing. They urgently need food, water and shelter.
More than 2,000 people have died and thousands more injured – many are children. These figures are only likely to rise, as many are feared to be trapped under the rubble.
Our teams are moving quickly to ensure children and their families can get the urgent support they need.
Please donate to the DEC Myanmar Earthquake Appeal now, and help children in their fight to survive.
Your generous donation can provide children and families affected by the earthquake in Myanmar with life-saving essentials like food, water, and crucial mental health support.
What we're doing to help children
Our teams are moving quickly to respond to the emergency – but it's crucial that the international community also acts now to provide support to the thousands of people in need.
Over the coming days and weeks, we will work alongside local partners to scale up critical support to children across the worst impacted areas. While we are working around the clock to finalise our response plan, activities will likely include:
- Distributing essential emergency relief items.
- Providing cash to families so they can buy food, medicine and other essentials.
- Providing access to clean water, essential hygiene and sanitation items and health services.
- Providing psychological support to children and their caregivers to help them overcome the traumatic experience they've been through.
Children's desperation, in their own words
Children are uniquely vulnerable at a time like this. Some are separated from their families or are traumatised by loss. They have been through the most terrifying experience.
"I just ran. I barely escaped," says Yoon May*, earthquake survivor in Myanmar, age 16. "The moment I stepped outside, bricks started falling from the ceiling. We all ran to the open field near our house."
"I haven’t been able to sleep at all. We have no water, no electricity."
We are in a race against time.
*Name changed to protect identities
