Our thoughts are with the many victims, families and those affected by the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand that hit the region on 28 March. Kolping Myanmar is present in the country with around 1,300 members in five regions of the country in Yangon, Pyay, Taunggyi, Pekhon and Loikaw.
The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.7 on the Richter scale, hit the cities of Mandalay and Sagaing particularly hard. Our National Office reports: ‘The earthquake a few days ago caused the worst damage.
There is a great need for help, but due to road closures, we can only help those in need in the immediate vicinity.’ With many roads closed, it is only possible to reach the areas along the rivers by boat at the moment.
VIDEO: How Kolping Myanmar is helping the earthquake victims
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KOLPING INTERNATIONAL has provided immediate financial aid amounting to €20,000.
On 2 April, employees of Kolping Myanmar visited the village of Kyartaw, providing the residents with drinking water, food and medication. They could only reach the village by boat. According to initial reports, 135 people lost their lives at Lake Inle; over 1,700 homes were destroyed in ten villages.
On 7 April, we received the following message from Kolping Myanmar: ‘So far, 4,335 people have lost their lives. As far as we know, there are no Kolping members among the dead. Today is the third day that we have been delivering the humanitarian aid sent by KOLPING INTERNATIONAL. People are very grateful for the help. Most important is to repair their destroyed houses. We were able to help families by purchasing bamboo at a reasonable price, financed by KOLPING INTERNATIONAL.’
On 11 April, staff members from the National Association visited Mandalay to see the extent of the damage and prepare further relief actions. “The road is now open in some areas, so we can travel from Taunggyi to Mandalay,” says Jennifer from the National Office. “The earthquake destroyed all the places, especially in the lowlands. The population of Inle Lake approximates two million people. They live by the lake and we have chosen the nearest places to help people. The earth shook twice a day in the past few days, but the quakes were less strong, between 3.7 and 4.4 on the Richter scale. However, people are traumatised.”
On 14 April Kolping Myanmar informs: “The epicenter of the earthquake, Yekha Inn, is farmland, so roads and bridges are damaged, and the most damage to homes was in Sagaing and Mandalay. Sagaing is still blocked from receiving aid due to ongoing fighting and unrest in the area, while Mandalay, which is still in ruins, is still requesting aid. The places we visited, Citta Ya Village and Mrauk Kai Village, are places where houses located along the MyitNge River are no longer inhabited due to landslides and are in need of assistance. With KOLPING INTERNATIONAL’s financial support, Kolping Myanmar was able to provide timely delivery of emergency supplies, food, and medicines to 1) Kyar Taw Village, Inle Lake, Taunggyi Region, 2) Citta Ya Village, and 3) Mrauk Kai Village in Mandalay Region.”
Please support the victims of the earthquake in Myanmar with your donation. Help is urgently needed in the form of drinking water, food, medication, mosquito nets, blankets, clothing, solar torches, and materials for reconstruction.
KOLPING INTERNATIONAL Cooperation e.V.
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Keyword: Earthquake Myanmar
