Responding to the Emergencies
Medical Aid Where It's Needed Most
Responding to emergencies
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Responding to the earthquake in Myanmar
A 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, March 28, with tremors felt across the country as well as Thailand. The epicenter was close to Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city.
The full scale of damage is still being determined, with the death toll in the thousands and climbing. Many thousands more have been injured.
Our teams are safe and on site in the affected areas of Mandalay and Naypyidaw and are currently assessing the needs to see where our help can be most beneficial. We are also deploying water tanks and installing pressure pumps to provide rapid sanitation assistance while our larger need assessments continue.
"The ability to deploy assessment teams and, ideally, surgical capacity, are critical in the first hours and days after any earthquake if we hope to respond with life and limb-saving surgical care for people injured," says Paul Brockmann, MSF's operations manager for Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Malaysia.
View of the destruction caused by the earthquake in Mandalay, Myanmar, as seen by MSF assessment teams. © MSF
DONATE TO OUR EMERGENCY FUND
By donating to MSF's emergency fund, you can ensure our teams are ready to respond, wherever and whenever a crisis hits.
Our history with earthquake response
MSF has responded to many earthquakes around the world—here’s some of the key responses we provide.
Rapid medical assistance and trauma care: we prioritise deploying emergency medical teams to provide life-saving care, including surgery, treatment for crush injuries, and wound management.
Support to local health structures: Rehabilitation of damaged health facilities is often a key part of the response.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) measures: These are key to prevent disease outbreaks, so MSF ensures access to clean water and proper sanitation. Temporary latrines and hygiene kits may be distributed to displaced populations.
Mental health and psychosocial support: Earthquakes cause immense psychological distress. Providing mental health support through counselling, psychological first aid, and community outreach can be critical in the short, medium and longer terms.
Logistical and supply chain support: Medical kits, tents, and emergency relief supplies via international supply chain ensure rapid deployment to affected areas. For this, access and security assessments need to be conducted to ensure safe and efficient aid delivery.
MSF staff cross the Lomela river in Boende, DRC, on their way to provide case management during a measles outbreak. © MSF
HOW CAN YOU HELP
By donating to MSF's emergency fund, you can ensure our teams are ready to respond, wherever and whenever a crisis hits.
We work where the need is greatest; it’s critical we respond as soon as a crisis occurs.
Médecins Sans Frontières Australia's emergency fund ensures that we have adequate financial resources ready so that we don’t lose precious time. By donating to our emergency fund today, you can help our teams provide relief as soon as possible to people who urgently need our help.
Please consider making an urgent donation today. We simply could not do what we do without you.
In Myanmar, MSF will provide assistance where possible as the situation develops, thanks to your support.
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