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OVERVIEW
On 28 March 2025, a magnitude-7.7 earthquake hit Myanmar’s Sagaing region, with a subsequent magnitude-6.4 aftershock shaking the neighbouring Mandalay region (ECHO 28/03/2025; AJ 28/03/2025). This has led the State Administrative Council (SAC), to declare a state of emergency in six affected states and regions: Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Sagaing, and southern Shan (IFRC 08/04/2025). By 6 April, the earthquake had killed over 3,500 people and injured around 5,000 (AHA Centre 06/04/2025; OCHA 07/04/2025 a). By 7 April, it had affected approximately 17.2 million people, including 9.1 million across 58 townships, and caused widespread damage or destruction to over 41,000 houses, 3,300 religious facilities, and 1,800 schools (OCHA 07/04/2025 b; AHA Centre 06/04/2025). It had also displaced around 200,000 people, adding to the 3.5 million IDPs across Myanmar (AHA Centre 14/04/2025; ECHO 14/04/2025). The priority needs among the affected population include food, safe drinking water, access to healthcare, cash assistance, and shelter (OCHA 07/04/2025 a).
In Bago, the most affected townships are Htantabin, Kyaukkyi, Kyauktaga, Oktwin, Phyu, Taungoo, and Yedashe in the north (OCHA 07/04/2025 b and 03/04/2025; COAR/Premise 03/04/2025; WFP 28/03/2025). By 31 March, 37 people had died in the region, including six children, while 176 people sustained injuries (OCHA 31/03/2025). Initial assessments show two healthcare facilities destroyed and 20 others damaged, limiting access to essential health services and increasing health risks for affected communities, such as untreated injuries and outbreaks of communicable diseases (OCHA 03/04/2025).
Bago is one of the regions affected by the conflict between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and armed resistance groups, including People’s Defence Forces (PDFs), that has been increasing since 2023. Although the SAC and the Three Brotherhood Alliance – a major coalition of armed resistance groups, including the Arakan Army and the Karen National Union (which recently commenced operations in Bago to facilitate humanitarian operations) – have announced a temporary ceasefire, hostilities have continued across Myanmar. By 11 April, more than 120 attacks were recorded after the earthquake, including over half after the ceasefire declaration on 2 April (UN 11/04/2025; AJ 11/04/2025; The Irrawaddy 11/03/2025).
Bago has long been underrepresented in humanitarian efforts, resulting in limited information flows and an incomplete understanding of the needs and challenges faced by a significant portion of the population. Ceasefire violations are likely to constrain humanitarian access, particularly in areas controlled by armed resistance groups, and are expected to further complicate the delivery of assistance to populations affected by the earthquake (UN 11/04/2025; AP 11/04/2025).