Instability in Myanmar
- Sofia Garnica Aguilar Alvarez
- Apr 2
- 2 min read
Last week, on March 28, 2025, an earthquake of 7.7 magnitude hit Myanmar, with an epicenter in Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, which houses 1.5 million people. The earthquake immediately affected the surrounding areas of Thailand, China, and India. As of April 1st, the death toll has risen to 2,700 victims. However, the true number of victims could be much higher due to the continuing rescue efforts. Myanmar’s junta government did announce that they believed that after 72 hours, the rescue efforts were unlikely to successfully recover injured civilians.
In addition to the usual difficulties faced when rescuing people from earthquakes—blocked roads, collapsed buildings, and affected infrastructure—Myanmar is under a junta that came into power through a coup in 2021. This further complicates the rescue process because large areas of the country are under the control of rebel forces with whom the junta has been at civil war for the last four years, making it harder for Myanmar’s primary government to access those parts of the country. In addition, the restricted access to internet and communication networks makes efforts even harder. However, there has been a unilaterally agreed-upon ceasefire in the face of the tragedy, which has eased aid and rescue efforts. Yet, rebels have accused the military of conducting airstrikes even after the quake, and on Tuesday, a major rebel alliance declared a unilateral ceasefire to help relief efforts. The instability of the junta government, which had already displaced 3 million people prior to the earthquake, has caused the disaster to worsen.
Thousands of structures and infrastructures have been damaged. Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in the world, making this disaster particularly tragic for the country. Rescue teams from China, Russia, India, Thailand, as well as other countries, have been aiding in the search and rescue process, with the U.S. team en route as of Tuesday evening. The Red Cross said it has launched an emergency appeal for 100 million Swiss francs ($113.3 million) to assist 100,000 people in 20,000 households over the next 24 months.
What forms of intervention are called-for in a crisis which has taken 2,700 victims and, for years prior, has led to the deaths of more than 6,000 at the hands of a junta government? Is humanitarian aid enough? When can aid become international overstep?
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