CNI News

3 June 2025

Donors from local and abroad have donated money for the rehabilitation due to the powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, causing damage and losses.

There are questions about where this money should be prioritized to spend. 131.53 billion kyats and  more than 2.3 million US dollars (2,314,900)  were received from the earthquake relief donation event on May 29, 2025. 

In addition, donations for 51 four-storied buildings with 16 apartments each at a rate of 20,000 lakh kyats per building were received, reported the SAC.

At the first donation event on April 1 (2025), 112.87 billion kyats and 12.4 billion kyats worth of donated goods were received from local and abroad donors, for a total of 125.27 billion kyats. $300 million has been donated to earthquake victims, and that  suggestions on how to donate and where to donate from Facebook pages.

While seeing a building that collapsed during the earthquake that struck on March 28, 2025

An economic analyst told CNI News that the government may prioritize the resumption of government departments over the public in its rehabilitation efforts for the earthquake-affected population.

 “The government has many damaged offices, roads, bridges, schools, and fire stations. Religious buildings are also under the government. The Ministry of Religious Affairs only will spend the budget that they have received for their damaged buildings and does not give the budget to the people. The people will have to help each other. But they will help some people who are really in trouble.  What I mean is that monks help each other, people help each other, and governments help each other. Haiti received billions in international donations after the earthquake, and they are rebuilding people's homes. The government will rebuild the infrastructure necessary for the government as a priority, I believe" he said.

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Sagaing, near Mandalay, Myanmar, on March 28, 2025, affecting 10 regions and states, with 6 of them experiencing severe damage. 

if you want to donate the people, you can donate them through social organizations that are going among the people, U Myoe Set Thway, secretary of the People's Pioneer Party (PPP), told CNI News.

Those who working to rescue victims of the earthquake that struck on March 28, 2025

“You can donate through the government. You can also donate through the general administration department and ward administrators. But the trust and relationship between the people and the ward administrators is not always good everywhere. That is, the administrators often send things donated to their relatives and friends.There are social organizations among the people that really help. If you donate through them, it is more effective. It's obvious on the ground which people should be preferentially helped. Junior government employees in the rehabilitation can't do their own rehabilitation. These things should be prioritized first." he said.

The SAC Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said that when carrying out rehabilitation activities, it is necessary to take into account not only the current disasters but also potential future disasters and then implement them in accordance with established standards to ensure sustainability for the future. 

The earthquake that struck on March 28, 2025, affected 374 wards, 944 village tracts, 2,081 villages, 162,167 households, and a total population of 506,069 people in 10 regions and states, including the Nay Pyi Taw Council. Moreover,  3,739 people died, 68 were missing, and 5,104 were injured, reported the SAC.

In addition, 51,210 houses, 431 road works, 103 bridges, 83 railway damage sites and 11 railway bridges, 6,730 mobile communication stations, 10 power lines, 3,435 power poles, 594 irrigation canals, 6 embankments, 11,338 departmental buildings, 384 hospitals, 364 clinics, 166 ancient buildings and museums, 2,409 basic education schools, 72 higher education schools, 90 private schools, 6,469 pagodas, 5,588 religious buildings, 344 private factories, 7.5 acres of crops, 133,700 animals were damaged, with a total damage value of Ks3,804.549 billion, the SAC reported.