A Journey of Urgent Care
Late in the night on March 28, 2025, a powerful earthquake ripped through central Myanmar. Buildings crumbled. Fires spread. Entire neighborhoods fell into silence. In Mandalay and surrounding areas, the destruction was immediate and devastating.
Electricity vanished. Phone lines went down. Internet service became impossible. Even in the best of times, 24-hour electricity isn’t a guarantee, but after the quake, communities were completely cut off from one another. Families in the dark waited, not knowing who had survived or what support might be on its way.
By early Saturday morning, before full reports had even emerged, our local team—together with trusted networks we had long supported—was already mobilizing. They quickly pivoted to emergency response—purchasing supplies, packing emergency kits, and organizing delivery logistics.
Bringing Relief Where It Was Most Needed
Our team and partners moved swiftly, targeting affected areas across Mandalay, Sagaing, Amayapura, Pyin Ma Nar, InnLay, InnWa, Wat Lat, and even Ya Me Thin. Roads were difficult to navigate, and communication remained unreliable. Still, they pushed forward—renting a small light truck and a canter box truck to carry emergency aid across the disaster zone.
Supplies included drinking water, rice, ready-made food, medicine, sanitary pads, plastic tarps for shelter, and long rubber boots to help navigate areas overrun with poisonous snakes (a particular danger in post-quake Sagaing). The trucks also carried body bags—an unfortunate but necessary part of this response—as many lives had already been lost.
This aid reached a wide range of recipients:
– A Muslim family who lost relatives when their mosque collapsed.
– Monks and nuns whose monasteries were destroyed in Sagaing.
– Civilians in Mandalay’s Sein Pan area, where fires broke out during the quake.
– Earthquake victims who suffered traumatic injuries and amputations.
Obstacles and Roadblocks
Delivering this aid was not without challenges. With communication cut off, coordination across townships was difficult. Highways were damaged, slow, and at times impassable. Our local team and partners also faced obstructions at military checkpoints— particularly at Thar Ga Ya Gate, where soldiers questioned their cargo and initially refused to let the trucks pass, but was permitted through after careful negotiation. In the face of these restrictions, they made difficult decisions about what they could bring and how to distribute supplies peacefully and respectfully.
Funding was also limited. Our local team and partners knew from the outset that they wouldn’t be able to reach every affected family, but they committed to offering as much support as possible with the resources available.
Community First, Always
Better Burma continues to support our local response team and trusted partners, whose courage and commitment under pressure is an example of the kind of grassroots effort that truly makes a difference. In moments of overwhelming loss, it is often local hands—acting quickly, humbly, and with limited resources—that become the first line of support.
As the country slowly recovers from the March 2025 earthquake, thousands remain displaced. Many are still living under plastic sheets, with little food, water, or medical care. But thanks to local volunteers and donors who stand in solidarity, the first steps toward healing have already begun.
If you’d like to support these ongoing relief efforts, please consider making a contribution. Every contribution makes a difference, no matter how small.
Because even when the ground breaks beneath our feet, we can still choose to stand with each other.
