Myanmar earthquake
Above: Three women on a motorcycle ride past earthquake damage in Mandalay. Credit: CARE Myanmar
On 28 March 2025 at 12.50 local time, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, followed by number of significant aftershocks.
Myanmar’s military regime declared a state of emergency. More than 3,600 lives are estimated to have been lost, with 4,800 injured and tens of thousands of structures damaged. Access to essential services, like electricity and clean water, has been decimated. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a ‘level 3 emergency’ (highest level) and assessed that the health system across central Myanmar had effectively collapsed.
Most affected areas (including the cities of Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw) are under regime control, with continued conflict complicating the international aid response. The earthquake compounded an already-dire humanitarian situation in Myanmar, with 19.9 million people in need of humanitarian aid, up twenty-fold since the 2021 coup. UN agencies estimate an additional 2 million people have been pushed into the critical need category by the earthquake.
The AHP response
As part of a larger support package, the Australian Government allocated AUD 3.5 million to the Australian Humanitarian Partnership (AHP) to respond to the earthquake in Myanmar. This activation builds on the work of the current protracted crisis response taking place through AHP. The activation will take place over 12 months, and involves all six lead AHP agencies and local partners.
Partners are responding to the immediate needs of affected communities, through water, non-food items, multi-purpose cash assistance and the distribution of emergency shelter kits and hygiene supplies.
The protection of vulnerable groups such as children and women and girls is a particular priority, especially with many people now living in crowded, makeshift shelters. Child friendly spaces and women and girl friendly spaces will provide psychosocial and mental health support, child protection case management and gender based violence services, while mobile health clinics will deliver essential medical services.