One Year after the Earthquake in Myanmar

By Bren Melles, Manager, Humanitarian Programs

When a powerful earthquake hit Myanmar on March 28, 2025, everything changed in an instant.

The walls shook. Homes were destroyed and schools collapsed. Families slept outside on sidewalks in intense heat for days, afraid to return indoors. Communities already living through hardship suddenly faced even more loss. The earthquake, the most powerful to hit Myanmar in almost a century, impacted more than 300,000 people, killed more than 3,600 and injured thousands.

Because of the quick action of local communities and your support to the Humanitarian Coalition's response, assistance reached families fast.

I recently traveled to Myanmar to see how the earthquake response unfolded and to learn what your donations made possible. Due to security restrictions, I stayed in Yangon. But, I spent my time listening closely to country teams from five Humanitarian Coalition members who led the response through projects supported by your donations and funding from the Government of Canada.

Listening to people describe the immediate aftermath of the earthquake -- the stress, the chaos -- has stayed with me. Those early days were overwhelming. Many of our members and their staff were affected themselves -- displaced, feeling the loss of their own friends and relatives, running on very little sleep -- and yet they acted immediately. Within hours and days, Humanitarian Coalition members were assessing needs and providing clean water, emergency shelter, and psychosocial support. As the weeks wore on, members and their local partners constructed latrines and water tanks, distributed emergency cash assistance, and established child-friendly spaces so parents had a place to send their kids while recovery was ongoing.

Our members shared with me about the strength of communities. Neighbours helping neighbours. Middle school students volunteering for hours each day. Local community-based organizations stepping up immediately, before outside help could arrive. Your donations strengthened this local response, making it possible to reach more people.

Working in Myanmar isn't easy. Access restrictions, active conflict, and security risks mean it can be extremely tough to operate. But I heard over and over about the courage, creativity and resolve of our members and their local partners to get help where it is most needed.  

One year on, recovery is still underway. Trauma doesn't resolve quickly, for parents or their children, and many livelihoods still need to be rebuilt. Still, I left Myanmar heartened, proud of our members, and grateful for your generosity and compassion to respond quickly.  

Thank you for making that possible.