Six Months On, Myanmar’s Quake Survivors Still Waiting

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Half a year after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake devastated central Myanmar, recovery remains painfully slow. Over 3,800 people were killed and more than 5,000 injured, yet reconstruction of homes and infrastructure has barely begun.

The United Nations has urged a temporary ceasefire between the military and pro-democracy forces to allow humanitarian aid to reach affected communities. Kanni Wignaraja, UN Assistant Secretary-General, told NHK that the situation is dangerously unstable. “Living with trauma and conflict has become the new normal,” she said, highlighting the mental toll on children who have known little else but war.

In Mandalay and other quake-hit regions, thousands remain in evacuation centres. Military assistance has been patchy, prompting Myanmar nationals abroad to take action. In Japan, the Yokohama Pamphlet Campaign—a group of Myanmar residents—has been raising funds weekly. On Saturday, 15 volunteers gathered outside Tokyo’s Yurakucho Station to collect donations for food and emergency supplies.

Group leader Nang Mya Kay Khaing, whose family is still displaced, said the funds are helping to deliver rice, cooking oil and electronic transfers to those in need. “Livelihoods are still shattered,” she said, stressing the importance of continued support amid ongoing crackdowns and airstrikes.

The UN warns that without a coordinated ceasefire and sustained aid, Myanmar’s recovery will remain stalled. As the country struggles with both natural disaster and political unrest, the road to rebuilding is long—and increasingly uncertain.

-2025-09-29