CNI News
5 April 2025
Myanmar should focus on making its relief teams international-standard based on the recent earthquake disaster in Myanmar, which is prone to natural disasters, civil society organizations told CNI.
When a natural disaster occurs, charitable organizations and youth are the first to arrive and provide relief and assistance to the extent they can, rather than government organizations, which has been effective in some areas.
16 years after Nargis, heavy rains cause floods and landslides. One year after that, a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck.
Therefore, it is very important to develop international-standard relief and rescue teams in preparation for natural disasters, founder of the Yangon Watch, Dr. Nyo Nyo Thin told CNI News.
" It is very important to produce humanitarian aid workers of international standard. Myanmar youth go to the ground and help when there is an emergency. To tell you frankly, they are faster than government organizations to help and more effective in some areas. Philanthropic organizations reach natural disaster-hit areas almost at once. But they are badly in need of internationally qualified equipment and skills. In comparison with China, their relief teams have been by far more skillful than ours. Myanmar philanthropic organizations should be sent to China to train from now on. The government should meet the needs of international relief teams as soon as possible. If there are any delays, further worrisome developments may occur." she said.
Regarding natural disaster relief, in comparison with its neighboring countries, Myanmar has left behind a lot.
So, things that shouldn't happen are happening; she has been telling the Chinese Embassy to provide training, equipment and technology needed for relief efforts by charitable organizations in Myanmar, said Dr. Nyo Nyo Thin.
Because a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, rescue operations are still underway for local residents trapped under the rubble.
Since Myanmar lacks the necessary equipment and technology, systematic relief efforts can only be carried out when foreign aid teams arrive.
Since floods and earthquakes are different, experts should be invited to provide training courses not only on the use of technology but also on rescue operations, a banking expert U Htay Aung Kyi told CNI.
" Obviously, we don't have technology regarding earthquakes. We don't have the rescue technology for earthquakes. Systems and ways of thinking are flawed from the beginning. They (international rescue teams) have lots of heavy machines and money. But they arrived in the earthquake-hit areas on March 30 although the earthquake struck on March 28. Why were they so delayed? Flood and earthquake disasters are different. To the best of my knowledge, Myanmar relief teams were trained just a little." he said.
According to the information released by the SAC as of 8 a.m. on April 3, the number of deaths due to the earthquake was 3,085, that of injured was 4,715, and that of missing was 341.
