A man cooks food under a shelter near his damaged home, near the epicenter of the earthquake. Photo: NAG Myanmar
People live in displacement camps, livelihoods lost
(LWI) - Following a 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March 2025, emergency assistance has reached hundreds of vulnerable families, many of whom were already displaced due to years of armed conflict.
The earthquake has affected an estimated 15 million people, tearing through homes, destroying religious buildings, and ruining livelihoods across regions including Naypyitaw, Southern Shan State, Sagaing Township, and Amarapura in Mandalay Region.
Cash handout near Mandalay. Some people had to use the money intended for food for medication or to clear debris. Photo: NAG Myanmar
A chest made by artisans in Ywar Htaung. These are normally sold in Mandalay, but since the pagoda has been closed, the families have lost their income. Photo: NAG Myanmar
Food, water, shelter
In partnership with local organizations, LWF has distributed emergency cash assistance to 865 households, with 485 more scheduled to receive support by mid-June. A post-distribution monitoring visit, conducted in early May, revealed that families had to also use cash for debris clearance and urgent medical needs, showing the scale of the unmet needs on the ground.
Many people who lost their homes are now staying in temporary displacement camps, a local contact explains. “The camps often lack proper shelter, clean water, and medical support, adding to the hardship faced by survivors”. Two months after the disaster, damaged buildings have not been cleared. In some communities, humanitarian access is hindered because of active conflict and security restrictions.
Families are trying to recover not only physically, but emotionally and economically.
LWF partner, Myanmar
Suffering and hardship
“Families are trying to recover not only physically, but emotionally and economically,” the local partner continued.. Among the people we support, there is a mother who is the sole caregiver of the family. “She lost everything as her house was destroyed by the earthquake. With two young daughters to care for, she is now struggling to meet even the most basic needs—food, safety, and shelter”, the local contact says.
In another village, LWF’s partners met a woman who lost two family members. “She is in a state of shock, and unable to care for herself. Her close relative, now her sole caregiver, received cash aid to buy food”.
Livelihoods lost
The overall situation in Myanmar makes it difficult for people to recover on their own as their resilience has been tested during the many years of civil unrest. The impact of the earthquakes goes beyond the destruction of lives and homes, as the team found out in Ywar Htaung village, Sagaing.
“Many in that village are artisans, who relied on selling bronze and silver handicrafts at Mandalay’s Mahamuni Pagoda” the partner explains. The earthquake did not result in major casualties in that village, but as the pagoda and historical sites in Mandalay are still closed, the supply chain of the local artisan market is facing an existential threat. “For many, the artisan market was more than commerce—it was tradition, pride, and survival”.
LWF and partners will continue to provide aid to the people of Myanmar, with a second distribution planned in early June.
