Month of Sorrow in Myanmar Since Significant Earthquake Occurrence

Months have passed since Myanmar endured its strongest earthquake in over a century, yet the wreckage remains. On this grim anniversary, we find the military's unrelenting bombardments ongoing despite a truce, leaving thousands of survivors huddled in makeshift shelters.

The ferocious 7.7 tremor, reported by the United States Geological Survey as the fiercest with a domestic epicenter since 1912, has left nearly 3,800 dead and daily casualties mounting. The devastation primarily ravaged Mandalay, reducing apartments, tea shops, hotels, and religious institutions to rubble.

One Mandalay resident, requesting anonymity, shared his continuing struggle: "We're still battling to reclaim what we lost. I'm not alone in hardship; it's everyone around me as well."

With monsoon season drawing near, aid agencies have issued stark warnings about the challenges ahead, as tens of thousands of homeless people face deteriorating conditions. Nadia Khoury, the IFRC Myanmar head, spoke frankly about the looming difficulties, "People are extremely anxious about what will happen in the next few weeks."

Meanwhile, amid the chaos, the military continues to launch air attacks, breaking the ceasefire they called to facilitate relief efforts. According to the Centre for Information Resilience, the junta has executed 65 air assaults since the truce began on April 2. The latest strike, on Wednesday, killed five and injured eight in Tabayin, leaving residents like Ko Aung mourning the loss of his elder sister, hit by shrapnel in the chaos.

Adding salt to the wound, opposition armed forces, taking advantage of the truce, have forced residents from their homes in eastern Myanmar, compounding the already dire humanitarian situation.

After four tumultuous years of war, half of the nation's population was living in poverty, while 3.5 million were displaced before the earthquake. NASA's analysis revealed the ground-shearing reach of up to six meters in some places. Khoury shared the grim reality, "Now it's become even higher with this earthquake."

Prior to the quake, Myanmar grappled with international aid cuts, triggered by Donald Trump's mission to slash Washington's humanitarian budget. The World Food Programme announced plans to halt food aid for one million people starting in April, citing critical funding shortfalls.

The earthquake-shaken nation, clinging to resilience, must now contend with this "dual crisis," demanding unprecedented cooperation between local communities, NGOs, and international donors to address both immediate survival needs and long-term rebuilding efforts. Amnesty International calls for strict adherence to humanitarian principles and a halting of attacks on civilian infrastructure by all parties.

The ongoing unrelenting bombardments by the military in Myanmar, despite a truce, have left thousands of survivors huddled in makeshift shelters, even as they face the approaching monsoon season.
The military's execution of 65 air assaults since the truce began on April 2 has claimed more lives, such as that of Ko Aung's elder sister in Tabayin, leaving residents like him mourning.
The earthquake in Myanmar has added to the nation's existing dual crisis, already grappling with political instability, war, and conflict, which has displaced over 3.5 million people before the quake.
Amidst this chaos, international donors are urged to show unprecedented cooperation with local communities and NGOs in addressing both immediate survival needs and long-term rebuilding efforts, as called for by Amnesty International.