Myanmar, one month on

On 28 March, a 7.7 earthquake hit along the Sagaing Fault in Myanmar, causing widespread destruction in the Sagaing and Mandalay regions. Around five million people have been affected, especially those in remote areas. The earthquake damaged roads and bridges, making it hard for people to reach their homes, markets, and essential services. One month on, we look at how United Nations Volunteers (UNV) supports the UN emergency response on the ground, both in terms of immediate help and long-term recovery.

At the time of the earthquake, more than 70 UN Volunteers were serving with 10 UN partners in some 19 duty stations across Myanmar. About one-third of these volunteers are now part of the recovery efforts on the ground with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the World Health Organization (WHO). The guiding principle here was to recruit local volunteers who knew their communities and were from within the system. 

In addition, UNV set up an earthquake response offer for UN initiatives, where calls for on-site and online assignments are posted and updated regularly. 

Titon Mitra, UNDP Resident Representative in Myanmar, shares, "The needs are immense, and recovery and reconstruction will take years.  Most immediately rapid structural assessments need to be undertaken and options including demolishing uninhabitable buildings, repairing slightly damaged structures, and full rebuilds have to be considered.  Urgent repairs to roads, bridges and water supply systems are also required."

UNDP is fielding more than 50 engineers to undertake the assessments and manage the reconstruction. Many of these will be UN Volunteers.  This has enabled UNDP to act at scale and do this quickly, efficiently and effectively." 

"Even in hardship, kindness reaches across villages and hearts," Aung Htin Shar, UN Volunteer Community Facilitator with UNDP, says as he assists earthquake-affected communities in Pyawbwe Township. For him, it's more than simply distributing supplies; it’s about building real human connections. "Every time we visit a village, we’re not only delivering emergency support, but also bringing presence, empathy, and solidarity." Community members are relieved that their names are on support lists for assistance and that they are not being forgotten, says Aung. 

UN Volunteers are among the first responders during recovery, says Christian Hainzl, UNV Regional Manager for Asia and the Pacific. "In Mandalay City, Sagaing Region, and Shan State, they support OCHA, UNDP, UNICEF, and WHO by assessing community needs and distributing emergency kits to families."

UN Volunteers' swift action ensures aid reaches those in need, embodying the principle that helping promptly is helping doubly."

Sajjad Mohammad Sajid is the OCHA Head of Office in Myanmar and speaks about the valuable work of volunteers who are assessing the immediate needs of the affected communities on the ground. 

UN Volunteers have been critical to OCHA’s work in Myanmar, and this has been particularly visible in the earthquake response. One of our UN Volunteers was deployed to one of the hardest-hit areas shortly after the earthquakes struck, and she has been essential to the coordination of life-saving humanitarian action."

He continues, "Nang Nom has been on the ground working with partners and meeting with affected people to better understand time-sensitive needs and the required response. As a UN Volunteer, she has been an invaluable member of the OCHA team and helped drive forward our work to save lives and protect the most vulnerable."

A UN Volunteer Humanitarian Affairs Officer with OCHA, Nang Nom Kham, was deployed to Mandalay Region a week after the earthquake struck. "I coordinate the team and its operations in Mandalay Region, including screening and assigning assessment locations and ensuring impacted locations are assessed across the region."

For Nang, it’s incredibly moving to hear from communities.

Communities appreciate UN Volunteers' presence—that simply asking questions and listening to their challenges gives them hope. They’ve shared how much it means to not feel alone in this crisis. And this is why volunteering matters so much."

 

The earthquake has claimed at least 3,700 lives, injured over 4,800 people, and left many missing. However, aid workers caution that the actual numbers might be higher due to difficulties in reporting and verifying data. This disaster comes on top of ongoing conflict, displacement, and economic hardship, making a very dire situation even worse. 

UN Volunteers continue working with communities and supporting recovery efforts. The spirit of volunteering prevails—of giving hope and strength back to the people.