April 11, 2025

On March 28, barefooted, Mae* ran down the stairs of her apartment building to quickly fetch a delivery. She left her two children in the apartment, thinking she would only be gone for a minute or two. As she stepped out the door of the apartment building, an earthquake rocked Myanmar. The building collapsed. Mae lost her children, her home, and all of her possessions. She now stands, sobbing, near the heap of debris that was once the place she cuddled with her children, cooked their meals, and hoped for a prosperous future for them. In her grief, she fixates: “Where are my shoes? I need my shoes.”

After reporting on the initial impact of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake and the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that followed shortly after in Myanmar, the media has moved on, but people like Mae continue to be devastated by loss. As of April 5, more than 4,000 people have died, nearly 6,000 have been injured, and over 700 remain missing nationwide. However, actual figures are likely to be higher due to underreporting. It is estimated that the earthquakes have affected more than 17 million people across the country.

The hardest-hit areas are still without electricity and water, while telecommunications and internet access are severely disrupted, cutting off affected communities from essential services. Five health facilities have been destroyed, and 61 facilities are partially damaged. Power outages force the health facilities in affected areas to rely on generators, challenging healthcare operations due to fuel shortages. There is a substantial need for surgical care, blood transfusion supplies, anesthetics, essential medicines, management of mass casualties, safe water and sanitation, and trauma healing.

Thousands of people have been displaced and are living in makeshift shelters or out in the open. Although there are houses still standing, people are too afraid to go inside for fear an aftershock will bring everything down. Families are struggling to survive, and there is still rebuilding to think about.

A World Renew team is working with our trusted local partners in Myanmar to deliver emergency supplies to the families most severely impacted by this disaster. World Renew program advisor Helen Catton works in Asia and says: “The situation is desperate, and rains have begun, making people living outside that much more at risk. This increases the chances of outbreaks such as cholera.”

But, Helen says, amidst the despair, there are shining examples of the resilience of the people of Myanmar. “In one community, the community members themselves decided to borrow the fire truck to pump water,” Helen shares. “They have set up two water pumps in the river to pump water and fill containers for those living nearby. Then they fill the fire truck and drive it to communities that are further out to deliver water. What a beautiful example of community-led response.”

The people impacted by this disaster are elderly citizens who wish for a peaceful life, mothers and fathers who want happiness for their children, and children who only want to be children, playing with their friends and laughing. But trauma plagues hearts right now, the trauma of living through the earthquakes and the reignited trauma that the continuing aftershocks bring. Families are struggling to find food, water, and medical support. Providing life-saving essentials during times of crises like these gives families hope to move forward and is a tangible expression of the love of Christ.

World Renew gives thanks to God for the generosity of our supporters whose gifts have helped our partners to provide:

• 12,926 families with food and water assistance.
• 16,220 people with emergency cash transfers to cover essential needs like food, water, and shelter for one month.
• Personal hygiene kits, cooking implements, cutlery, and tarpaulins to provide 617 families some protection from the blistering 40°C temperatures and pouring rain.

Please help World Renew and our partners to share Christ’s hope with more people. Give generously to our Myanmar Earthquake Response Fund.

*Name has been changed to protect identity.