Asia and the Pacific: Weekly Regional Humanitarian Snapshot (22 - 28 April 2025)

PHILIPPINES

On 28 April, Mt. Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon province, 390 kilometers south of Manila, erupted at 4:36 AM local time, producing a bent plume that rose 4,500 meters from the crater. Ashfall was recorded in multiple towns, while a pyroclastic density current descended the southwestern slopes and travelled within 3 kilometers from the summit vent. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) has raised the Alert Level on Mt. Bulusan volcano to level 1 (low level unrest). Entry is now prohibited within a 4 kilometer permanent danger zone around the volcano perimeter. According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, approximately 74,209 people have been affected, with 2 evacuation centres open for the 61 people currently displaced. Local and national government authorities have taken the lead in ensuring the wellbeing of those affected. Mount Bulusan is one of 23 active volcanoes in the Philippines and its last phreatic eruption raising its alert level was in June 2022.

MYANMAR

One month after devastating earthquakes struck central Myanmar on 28 March, humanitarian needs remain critical. More than 6.3 million people are in urgent need of support in the most affected areas. Many people are still living in overcrowded displacement sites or makeshift roadside shelters, facing extreme heat, limited clean water, sanitation, and healthcare access. Since the earthquakes, humanitarians have reached at least 600,000 people with water, sanitation and hygiene support, nearly 488,000 with food assistance, and close to 117,000 with emergency shelter and non-food item assistance. While humanitarian partners continue providing life-saving assistance, more resources and sustained access are critical to scaling up the response and reaching those in need.