A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar last Friday, leaving over 3,000 dead and thousands more injured.
Myanmar has long been vulnerable to earthquakes, with 14 major earthquakes in the past century. The Sagaing Fault, a notorious seismic hotspot, has a long history of quakes, but the recent one is among the strongest in its history.
On Thursday, April 3, 2025, the ruling junta said the deaths rose to 3,03,085,th 4,715 injured and 341 missing.
The World Health Organization has flagged a rising risk of waterborne illnesses, warning that Myanmar’s already fragile healthcare system is on the brink.
Read more: Death toll in Myanmar earthquake soars as international aid steps in
Heat waves and torrential rains are fueling fears of cholera outbreaks and other diseases as rescue workers scramble to find survivors.
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The deputy head of WHO’s Myanmar office, Elena Vuolo, said, “Cholera remains a particular concern for all of us,” pointing to an outbreak last year in Mandalay.
Read more: Strong earthquake struck Southeast Asia leaving devastation in its wake
She added that the damage to about half of the healthcare facilities in the quake-hit areas, including hospitals destroyed by the quake in Mandalay and Naypyitaw, further escalated the risk.
Myanmar was already in crisis mode before the quake hit. Myanmar has been embroiled in civil war since the military coup in 2021, which ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta’s iron grip has left basic services in tatters, making disaster response even more chaotic.
Read more: Myanmar Death Toll Exceeds 2,000 as Search for Survivors Intensifies
Meanwhile, despite the devastation, the junta leader, Min Aung Hlaing, has decided to leave his disaster-stricken country for a regional summit in Bangkok. Critics say while his people are buried under rubble, he’s off to shake hands and talk politics.
