Phase 1: Immediate Response
On March 28th, a massive 7.7 quake struck near Myanmar’s Mandalay, followed by a 6.4 aftershock. The effects of the quake trapped thousands of people inside destroyed buildings and rubble, destroyed infrastructure, and has taken the lives of over 3,145 people. The tremors were also felt across Thailand, and causing extreme destruction and casualties in Mandalay. Our GEM Asia and GEM Europe teams are responding to both Myanmar and Thailand after these quakes.
Our GEM Asia team is currently inside Myanmar, distributing aid to affected residents in Mandalay. Working alongside local community stakeholders, we are able to ensure we are reaching those in most need.
At the same time, our GEM Europe team has been in Thailand since day 3 of the earthquake, with a focus on supporting those fleeing Myanmar. Our team is presently located in Mae Sot, along the Thailand and Myanmar border. This team is supporting fleeing refugees with immediate food assistance. These individuals are facing an especially difficult situation due to lack of funds, status, and resources.
Myanmar was already estimated to have 19.9 million residents needing humanitarian assistance, which makes this disaster even more disruptive.
