Myanmar Thailand Earthquake

Myanmar and Thailand have been struck by a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake, causing widespread destruction. This is a huge humanitarian crisis.

The earthquake was followed by a significant aftershock of 6.4M approximately 12 minutes later. Tremors were felt as far as China when the epicentre of the earthquake hit central Myanmar.

More than six million people are thought to have been in areas experiencing the intense tremors. Hospitals within Myanmar are overwhelmed and extreme temperatures of over 40 degrees Celsius has increased risks for communities and responders. With water supplies scarce, the threat of disease is growing.

Across Myanmar, people are missing or feared dead, their homes turned to rubble. For thousands, the only option is to live in damaged homes, flee, or sleep outside —but conflict makes displacement within Myanmar even more dangerous. People need urgent humanitarian assistance.

Vulnerable people in these countries will be homeless and in need of emergency shelter.

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Our teams have been working in both Myanmar and Thailand, to get emergency shelter aid into the hardest hit regions.

Our response is focused on people and communities who have received little or no support. Such as people living out in the open or in overcrowded displacement sites.

We’ll support thousands of people in Mandalay and Southern Shan state, providing shelters designed to withstand the rainy season and provide shade from intense heat.

Our aid will differ depending on location. More robust shelters made from timber, are designed for dry areas. While in wet areas, bamboo frames, along with corrugated iron roofs and fixings will be provided. Shelters will be built by local carpenters contracted by our partner.

Distributions of aid will start this month by our partners in Myanmar, before the peak of the rainy season.

Alongside shelter, one of the biggest problems facing people in Myanmar is access to clean water and the spread of disease. To address the critical challenges people face, along with shelters, we are providing a range of essential items, including water filters, buckets, and hygiene kits, along with solar lights and kitchen sets.

Solar lights are a practical solution for people without power. People use solar lights in different ways – for comfort or simply moving around at night. They also help with charging phones, for work, education, and family activities.
Kitchen sets include essential items for cooking and storing food. This means people can prepare, cook, and share food.

Getting aid into Myanmar is expensive and challenging. We’ll source and buy the items we need in the country – using larger suppliers and local markets.

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In Myanmar, the devastating earthquake has intensified an already dire humanitarian crisis. Hospitals are overwhelmed, struggling to treat the injured. Communication networks are failing, and blocked roads make aid delivery and rescue efforts nearly impossible.

Large numbers of people are forced to sleep outside, afraid of aftershocks and unable to return to their homes. Food supplies are low, with 15.2 million people at risk of food insecurity prior to the quake. Without clean drinking water, the risk of disease is extreme. Medical support is stretched thin, and the lack of shelter means families are exposed to harsh conditions with no protection.

The ongoing conflict is making rescue efforts even harder. People are desperately searching for missing loved ones, but with restricted access, many remain trapped or missing. The recovery of bodies is becoming increasingly difficult as communities struggle to find and bury their dead amidst the destruction.

This latest disaster has pushed the people of Myanmar to the brink. Already surviving through conflict and displacement, their resilience is a testament to their strength – but as conditions deteriorate, survival becomes even harder.

ShelterBox is ready to respond, to provide emergency shelter like tents and tarpaulins, as well as water filters, mosquito nets and solar lights. We need your support to reach those who need help the most.

Please, if you can, donate today.

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With over 25 years of experience, we are experts in emergency shelter after disaster.

From the 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, to responding to the magnitude nine Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan in 2011, we have provided shelter to over 2.5 million people so far.

In these uncertain times, your support is more valuable than ever.

We won’t stop until we see a world where no family goes without shelter after disaster. Will you help us?