Corruption Stalls Mandalay’s Quake Recovery

The Irrawaddy

One year after the earthquake that killed nearly 4,000 people in Mandalay, survivors say they remain trapped between trauma and corruption, unable to rebuild their lives.

The March 2025 disaster devastated central Myanmar, affecting more than 17 million people across 57 townships. Yet despite promises of reconstruction, rubble still clogs streets and families remain displaced. Volunteers report widespread post‑traumatic stress, with survivors haunted by the memory of collapsing homes and lost relatives.

Mental health support has largely vanished. NGOs that offered counselling pulled out last August, citing restrictions and dwindling resources. A Mandalay psychiatrist says many victims continue to suffer from anxiety, insomnia and depression, their emotional security “extremely fragile.”

But alongside trauma, corruption has deepened the crisis. The junta claims to have raised over 144 billion kyats from local donors and millions more from abroad. Survivors, however, say aid is slow, uneven, and often contingent on bribes. Local administrators have reportedly demanded payments in exchange for construction materials or demolition permits. One businessman said he paid more than 50 million kyats just to clear his wrecked home.

Economic recovery is faltering. Small and medium enterprises—long the backbone of Mandalay’s economy—remain crippled, with only 40 percent back in operation. Weaving workshops, snack producers and printers struggle against the combined weight of political instability, fuel shortages and quake damage.

Last week’s 4.3 magnitude tremor reignited panic, a stark reminder of the city’s vulnerability. Myanmar has recorded nearly 300 seismic events since last year’s disaster, dozens centred on Mandalay.

For survivors, the aftershocks are not only geological but political. As one resident put it, “We lost everything in an instant. Now corruption and delays mean we cannot rebuild. The trauma continues every day.”

A year on, Mandalay’s recovery remains paralysed—not by lack of funds, but by the corrosive mix of mismanagement and graft that leaves its people waiting, wounded and unheard.

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