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First aid has streamed to Southeast Asia in the two days since a massive earthquake hit Myanmar and Thailand. Relief is focused on Myanmar, where the estimated death toll rose to 1,644 by Sunday afternoon.
The number of dead 7.7 earthquake is expected to increase, while the number of injured was at 3.408 and the missing figure was on Sunday. The epicenter of the earthquake was near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city with 1.5 million people. In the neighboring Thailand, the death toll rose to 17.
While food, medicine and other important supplies have reached Myanmar, a report issued by the UN office for the coordination of humanitarian matters on Saturday said that rescue efforts were hampered by a severe shortage of medical supplies, including trauma bags, blood bags, anesthetics, tools, essential medicines and tents for health workers.
“We fear that this weeks before we can understand the full extent of destruction caused by this earthquake,” said Mohammed Riyas, the IRC’s director of Myanmar.
Here is a look at some of the contributions in supplies, staff and financial support and the nations and groups that provide assistance:
Direct help by nations
Sunday is expected to reach a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks with critical shelter and medical supplies Mandalay. China said it sent more than 135 rescue staff and experts along with supplies such as medical sets, generators, earthquake detectors and drones while promising about $ 13.8 million in first aid.
Hong Kong sent 51 search and rescue staff, including firefighters and ambulance staff, as well as two search and rescue dogs on Saturday. The group brought 9 tonnes (18,000 pounds) of equipment, including life detectors and an automatic satellite tracking antenna system, according to a statement on the Hong Kong website. The Hong Kong government will also set aside HK $ 30 million ($ 3.9 million) of its disaster relief fund to help the victims of Myanmar.
The Ministry of Emergency in Russia said it flew into 120 rescue workers and supplies to Yangon, Myanmar’s second largest city, and the Russia’s Health Ministry said Moscow sent a medical team that included specialists in infectious diseases, resuscitation, traumatology and psychology, as well as search and rescue team with a caste units.
Two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft brought in a field hospital unit on Saturday and about 120 staff members traveling north to Mandalay to establish a 60-bed emergency treatment center, the country’s Foreign Ministry said. India previously said it planned to send five aircraft and four ships with assistance supplies, including rescue team and medical teams.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Malaysia said the country would send 50 staff members to help identify the worst hit areas and provide assistance.
South Korea said it would provide $ 2 million to humanitarian aid by international organizations.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a position on X that his government would support assistance efforts “via the international red cross movement.”
The European Commission said on Friday that it would release 2.5 million euros ($ 2.7 million) in initial first aid to help with the relief of earthquake, which would bring the total humanitarian aid of the European Union to Myanmar to over € 35 million ($ 37.8 million) this year.
Ireland announced on Saturday that the government would provide a € 6 million ($ 6.49 million) with € 3 million ($ 3.2 million) to support the International Federation of the Red Cross and Myanmar Red Cross Society, € 1.5 million ($ 1.6 million) each to the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund and the UN Refugation Agency.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US would help with the reaction, but some experts were concerned about the promised effort, given the deep cut of his administration in foreign aid.
Help Agencies contributing
The UN Office for Humanitarian Affairs said it was mobilized with other groups and that $ 5 million was allocated to a central emergency response fund for ‘life-saving help’.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Halms Associations released 2 million Swiss Frank ($ 2.2 million) in emergency funds to support the organization’s work in Myanmar, Jagan Chapagain, the secretary -general and CEO of the organization, said in a position on social media on Sunday.
Cara Bragg, the Yangon-based manager of Catholic auxiliary services in Myanmar, said that assistance efforts consisted largely of local volunteers trying to find loved ones.
Despite the influx of countries sending search and rescue teams, “hospitals are really struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, there is a shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water,” Bragg said.
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