Geneva: Humanitarian efforts in Myanmar are facing severe disruptions due to extensive damage to roads and critical infrastructure, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Saturday. The impact follows a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Friday, leaving key transportation routes in disrepair and limiting access to affected regions.
According to OCHA, essential infrastructure, including major bridges and roads, has suffered extensive damage, impeding the movement of aid and rescue operations. “Damage to the Yangon-Nay Pyi Taw-Mandalay expressway led to service disruptions, with cracks and surface distortions forcing highway buses to halt operations,” the agency stated.
Hospitals in central and northwestern Myanmar are struggling to handle the overwhelming number of injured individuals, stretching medical resources to their limits. In response, 17 cargo trucks carrying shelter materials and medical supplies are expected to arrive on March 30 to address urgent shortages of essential medicines, including blood bags and anesthetics.
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In a rare move, Myanmar’s military rulers permitted the entry of hundreds of foreign rescue personnel on Saturday. The earthquake, which has claimed over 1,600 lives, marks the deadliest natural disaster in the country in recent years. The devastation has further strained a nation already grappling with an ongoing civil conflict that has ravaged the economy and displaced millions.
The tremor, one of the most significant to hit Myanmar in the past century, has also left airports, bridges, and highways crippled, compounding the challenges for both rescue teams and affected communities.
