GENEVA, Switzerland – The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Thursday, April 17, it had received only a fraction of an emergency appeal for 100 million Swiss francs ($122.40 million) to help recovery efforts after Myanmar’s powerful quake last month.
The 7.7 magnitude quake on March 28, one of the strongest to hit the country in a century, killed more than 3,600 people, flattened communities and left many without food, water and shelter.
“Only 10% of our 100 million Swiss franc appeal is funded – a lot less than we would have expected. It’s not nearly enough,” Alexander Matheou from the IFRC told Reuters via video link in Mandalay.
The organization said a broad decline in international donations, exacerbated by cuts to US funding by President Donald Trump‘s administration, has caused a funding shortfall. (READ: USAID team fired while in Myanmar earthquake zone — ex-official)
“We have around 200,000 people living on the streets because it is not safe to go home. They are in need of shelter, water, food and sanitation support,” Matheou said.
“There is destruction of full streets and houses, as well as huge cultural heritage destruction to temples, mosques and churches,” he added.
There have been more than 400 aftershocks in the last 10 days. Thousands of people are living outside as they are scared to shelter inside houses that have been badly damaged, the IFRC said, adding it is concerned that the coming monsoon season could make conditions even worse.
The earthquake came at a vulnerable moment for Myanmar, after four years of military rule and civil war that has crippled infrastructure and displaced millions.
Some 3,645 people were killed in the quake, with 5,017 injured and another 148 missing. Nearly 49,000 houses and more than 2,100 government buildings were destroyed, the military has said. – Rappler.com