Attachments
Highlights
- Responding to the immediate health needs of the thousands of people injured in the powerful earthquakes in the central Myanmar, the World Health Organization (WHO) dispatched nearly three tons of medical supplies to hospitals in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw.
- The supplies including trauma kits and multipurpose tents reached hospitals in Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay today. These supplies were rushed from the emergency stockpile in Yangon to the earthquake affected areas within 24 hours of the earthquake.
- WHO continues providing operational support to Rapid Response Teams deployed in the affected areas and is mobilizing its global Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Network.
Situation summary
- The scale of deaths and injuries has not yet fully understood, and the numbers are expected to increase. The State Administration Council reported 1 644 deaths and 3 408 injuries on Saturday. On 30 March, local media reported at least 2 601 deaths nationwide. The reported deaths include 1 790 in Mandalay, 402 in Naypyidaw, 314 in Sagaing, 79 in Southern Shan and 35 in Bago.
- In particular, a significant number of additional deaths and destruction have been reported in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region.
- The cities and regions of Bago, Magway, Mandalay, Nay Pyi Taw, Shan South and East and Sagaing are among the worst affected areas.
- As per initial reports, one private hospital and two public hospitals have been completely damaged, while 22 hospitals have sustained partial damage.
- While aftershocks continue, rescue operations are ongoing in the affected areas. The operations face significant obstacles including damaged roads, collapsed bridges, unstable communications, and the complexities related to civil conflict.
- The earthquake's devastation has overwhelmed healthcare facilities in the affected areas, which are struggling to manage the influx of injured individuals. There is an urgent need for trauma and surgical care, blood transfusion supplies, anesthetics, essential medicines, and mental health support.
- Emergency rescue teams from China, India, Malaysia and Russia have arrived in Myanmar to support rescue operations. Other countries are also initiating support for rescue and response.
Health needs
- Management of mass causality
- Trauma and surgical care
- Blood transfusion supplies
- Anesthetics
- Essential medicines
- Tents for health care workers
- Health facility damage assessments
- Access to safe water and sanitation
- Surveillance, prevention and response for disease outbreaks
- Mental Health and Psychosocial Support
WHO response
- WHO has delivered nearly three tons of medical supplies including the trauma kits to hospitals in the Mandalay and Naypyidaw today. These supplies were rushed from the emergency stockpile in Yangon to the affected areas within 24 hours of the earthquakes.
- Additional batch of medical supplies and kits will be delivered by 31 March 2025, including Inter- Agency Emergency Health Kits.
- WHO Representative for Myanmar and the staff have travelled to Nay Pyi Taw for field assessment and enhance coordination efforts with the authority and health partners.
- A maximum WHO Emergency Grading Level 3 has been agreed by three-levels of WHO to enhance resource mobilization and strengthen the response efforts.
- Trauma kits and essential supplies mobilized from the WHO Dubai Logistics Hub are expected to arrive in Myanmar shortly.
- WHO has reached out to the global Emergency Medical Teams (EMT) Network to identify teams willing to be deployed with field hospitals in Myanmar. To date, 20 EMTs have expressed interest in supporting the response efforts.
- WHO is deploying the technical staff to Myanmar to support operations of WHO Country Office in Myanmar.
- WHO has released WHO flash appeal: earthquake response in Myanmar.
- Contingency Fund for Emergencies (CFE) has been mobilized to enable prompt response and deployment of the health personnel, medical supplies, or logistical support.
- WHO joined the online training on rapid risk assessment briefing session for earthquake response coordinated by United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
- WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) has posted News Release WHO medical supplies reach hospitals in earthquake hit areas.
For further information, please contact:
- Dr Nilesh Buddha – Regional Emergency Director, a.i. buddhan@who.int
- Health information and epidemiology pillar at SEARO Incident Management Support Team seoutbreak@who.int