The Tánaiste Simon Harris has announced a contribution of €6 million from Ireland as an immediate response to the devastating earthquake which has already claimed an estimated 1,000 lives in central Myanmar.
There are concerns that these numbers will continue to grow in the coming days. The area is in an active conflict zone with pre-existing high humanitarian needs.
The 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on 28 March, with tremors felt across the region. The epicenter was 17 km from Mandalay, a city of 1.2 million people. A strong aftershock intensified the devastation, further damaging structures in Mandalay and Sagaing. This has complicated rescue efforts and raised fears of more casualties.
Ireland will provide €3 million to support the work of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and Myanmar Red Cross Society who are a pivotal part of the local response. This is in addition to €1.5 million to the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund managed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) who support national organizations in humanitarian action across Myanmar and €1.5 million to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Joint Response Plan responding already to the urgent needs of displaced Rohingya people.
Announcing the funding, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Simon Harris said: “My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, the injured and the emergency responders. The destruction will place extraordinary pressure on many people already experiencing humanitarian need. Ireland stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and will provide immediate emergency humanitarian assistance. Funding from Ireland will support a locally led response and assist those most impacted by this disaster.”
Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Neale Richmond added:“Ireland’s support will target people most affected by the earthquake. Emergency response teams from the Myanmar Red Cross have responded immediately to provide urgent care for people injured or looking for missing loved ones. Teams continue to assess the impact on people caught up in the earthquake. Ireland’s support will make a real and meaningful difference to people affected by this devastating disaster.”
This support is in addition to prepositioned funding of €2.4 million already provided to the IFRC by Ireland this year, which allows the Federation to respond immediately when a disaster strikes. Ireland is also the 9th largest donor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the world’s largest humanitarian fund, which has already provided €5 million to the crisis. The EU has also provided €2.5 million to the earthquake response in Myanmar.
