One week after the earthquake in Myanmar. Desperate call for help

The earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28 caused devastating destruction, especially in the Mandalay, Sagaing, and Shan State regions, deepening the ongoing crisis in the country related to the ongoing armed conflict and lack of state stability.

"The announced short ceasefire is certainly a step in the right direction, but it will need to be extended" – believes Regis Savioz, regional director for Asia and the Pacific at the International Committee of the Red Cross, and calls for enabling broader access to humanitarian aid: "Myanmar needs the international community to stand by its side and give it support in this hour of trial, and the parties to the conflict must fulfill their obligations under international humanitarian law."

About 100 hospitals and healthcare facilities, houses, schools, bridges, and essential infrastructure have been destroyed. Many people have lost access to clean water. Temperatures are rising sharply, exceeding 40°C, which poses a significant epidemiological threat, especially since bodies of victims are still trapped under the rubble.

Red Cross teams in Myanmar have been conducting searches in the rubble since the first hours after the disaster. On April 3, 6 days after the earthquake, a living man was pulled from the rubble. He was attended to by Red Cross volunteers. This shows how important it is to continue supporting them.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and partners from the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement are providing support to the Red Cross teams in Myanmar conducting search and rescue operations. Conveys with medical kits and rescue equipment, helmets, durable gloves, ropes, goggles, stretchers for transporting the injured, and body bags are reaching Myanmar.

To reduce the risk of cholera and diarrhea outbreaks, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Cross of Myanmar are deploying water purification units, distributing chlorine tablets, repairing water systems, and training local staff in operating water purification systems.

The Red Cross is also organizing medical points. Within a week of the disaster, it provided medical assistance to 10,000 people by delivering dressings and medicines and treating moderate injuries.

In Mandalay and Sagaing, many people still cannot safely return to their homes and are sleeping in open spaces. Red Cross volunteers are preparing temporary shelters and distributing food rations, tarpaulins, and essential household items among the disaster-affected residents.

The lack of electricity and cut communication lines hinder not only rescue and relief efforts but also make it impossible for family members to contact each other. ICRC and Red Cross partners are ready to help people reconnect with missing loved ones through the Restoring Family Links program.

The Polish Red Cross is a member of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), which coordinates support in Myanmar from around the world.

The IFRC estimates that for the next two years, the assistance needed for the earthquake-damaged country will cost at least 100 million Swiss francs (around 450 million zł) and is already raising funds for this purpose.

Crises can happen anywhere and at any moment. In distant Myanmar, it is an earthquake; southern Poland may again be hit by flooding, and a devastating fire may break out in the east. To be ready for immediate action, the Polish Red Cross operates the Emergency Fund.

The Emergency Fund is a permanent financial reserve that allows for immediate and effective action in crisis situations. It provides sustainable funding for needs during disasters, which means that resources can be directed exactly where they are most needed and in the form that is most effective at that moment. It is wise, responsible assistance, rather than chaotic actions under time pressure.