CARE in Myanmar is working alongside local partners to begin delivering aid to impacted communities following Friday’s catastrophic earthquake. More than 2,000 casualties have been reported, with numbers continuing to grow. Thousands of people remain missing.
Arif Noor, CARE Myanmar Country Director, said:
“The devastating impact of Friday’s earthquake is becoming clearer by the hour – this is a crisis on top of a crisis for Myanmar, where the humanitarian situation is already dire. Rescue teams are still recovering those trapped under the rubble, and hospitals are overwhelmed. The physical and mental scars of this catastrophe will last for decades.
CARE Myanmar is on the ground and has begun its emergency response alongside our dedicated partners who have been among the first responders. We have already distributed emergency health kits to several camps. Our priority is to help people meet their urgent needs; the situation demands far more – shelters, medicine and clean water are all critically needed.
This catastrophe has brought already vulnerable communities to their knees. People traumatised by the earthquake are sleeping on the streets, with no clean water or food to eat and nowhere to escape from the heat. They simply don’t know where to turn or where to find safety. Our emergency relief teams are witnessing complete devastation everywhere we go. On top of that, we also concerned about the possibility of a cyclone in early April that could exacerbate this crisis.
The scale of the devastation is immense. To meet this level of need will require a sustained and large-scale humanitarian effort. We call on the international community to step forward to support people in Myanmar. They cannot afford to wait.”
Notes to Editor
- CARE plans to reach 500,000 people impacted by the earthquake in its initial emergency response.
- Both directly and through partners, CARE in Myanmar plans to deliver cash assistance, essential health and medical services, clean water, emergency food supplies, dignity and hygiene kits.
For media enquiries contact Briony FitzGerald on 0404 117 927
About CARE International
CARE is a leader within a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty. From emergency response to long-term sustainable solutions, CARE is known for our unshakeable commitment to the dignity of all people. We work to support women and girls, so we can effectively address the root causes of poverty and create pathways to economic freedom for all. We do this in partnership with men and boys and community leaders locally, regionally, and globally. For nearly 80 years, CARE has been there, from the first CARE Packages® delivering relief in Europe after World War II, to every major global crisis since. Our long-term development programs and trusted local leadership continue to impact the lives of millions of people around the world.
About CARE Australia
CARE Australia is one member of the global CARE Confederation. CARE Australia supports women and girls around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty and achieve social justice. We work in partnership with local communities to provide equal opportunities for women and girls to be educated and to earn an income, gain access to essential resources like food, health care and clean water, and to be able to withstand and recover from the increasing
impacts of disasters, conflict and other crises. Our programs focus on women and girls because we know when one woman breaks the cycle of poverty she brings four others with her – and that’s a powerful multiplier of impact.
