Early afternoon on March 28, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit central Myanmar, striking the country’s second biggest city, Mandalay, and felt over 600 miles away in the Thailand capital, Bangkok. More than 150 people have died, over 700 people have been injured, and civilian infrastructure including buildings and bridges have been destroyed.
IRUSA is working to provide emergency aid including cash assistance to help families meet their most basic needs including food, water, and temporary shelter.
Help earthquake-affected families now. Donate today.
Myanmar’s Rakhine State is home to the Rohingya. It is the least developed state in the country with a poverty rate of 78% compared to the 37.5% national average, according to the World Bank. Government restrictions have been put in place against the Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority group, on marriage, family planning, employment, education, religious freedom, and freedom of movement.
Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled persecution in Rakhine, fueling a humanitarian crisis. Most have fled to Bangladesh, which has limited land and resources. Some have also fled to Malaysia, India, Thailand, and Indonesia.
Interventions have included humanitarian aid to internally displaced people and host communities in Rakhine State, including the following:
We also have worked to provide emergency relief for natural disasters including building shelters for those affected by cyclones. While programming inside of Myanmar has been completed, support for refugees from Myanmar continue in other countries, including Bangladesh.