Myanmar is facing an escalating earthquake crisis and humanitarian aid emergency driven by conflict, economic collapse, and climate disasters.

The country has the fifth highest number of people in need globally—over 20 million, nearly one-third of its population. Millions are struggling to survive as active fighting continues, making daily life dangerous and uncertain. Then, on top of this war, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck, destroying homes, burying families under rubble, and deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis.

This disaster has made survival even more difficult for people already living in extreme hardship.

People stand past the debris of a collapsed building in Mandalay on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake. A powerful earthquake killed more than 20 people across Myanmar and Thailand on March 28, toppling buildings and bridges and trapping over 80 workers in an under-construction skyscraper in Bangkok. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images).

Myanmar: facing conflict and disaster

Myanmar is one of the world’s most war-torn and climate-vulnerable nations. Years of fighting have already displaced over 3.5 million people, forcing families to leave behind everything in search of safety. The crisis intensified with the impact of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck on 28th March 2025, deepening an already fragile humanitarian situation.

Sagaing and Mandalay, two cities sheltering millions of internally displaced people, were at the epicenter of the earthquake. With limited information from these areas, the full scale of destruction remains unknown—but early reports indicate the damage is severe.

Conflict and the spread of violence

Myanmar has endured decades of brutal conflict, displacing millions and leaving civilians at extreme protection risk. The ongoing fighting between authority forces and non-state armed groups has shaped instability across the country, worsening significantly after the military coup in early 2021.

This unrelenting violence has devastated public services, forcing millions to rely on humanitarian aid to survive. Families continue to flee, searching for safety both within Myanmar and in neighboring countries like Bangladesh, where our teams are working to support displaced communities affected by cyclones and flooding.

Over 2.7 million people have been uprooted by the conflict, many seeking refuge in Sagaing—a region already devastated by war, now one of the hardest-hit areas following the earthquake. But even as rescue efforts begin, military ground attacks continue, making access extremely difficult. Amid relentless bombing, survivors are risking their lives to search for loved ones, recover bodies, and bring injured family members to safety.

With ongoing violence disrupting humanitarian aid delivery, many communities remain isolated and without support. Women and children face heightened gender-based violence, leaving them even more vulnerable in overcrowded and unsafe displacement camps.

Myanmar’s economic collapse & worsening food insecurity

The crisis in Myanmar extends beyond conflict—it is a fight for survival as extreme poverty and food shortages also push millions of people to the brink.

Myanmar’s economy is in freefall. Hyperinflation, widespread unemployment, and the collapse of public services have driven countless families into extreme poverty. Even before the earthquake, 15.2 million people faced moderate to severe food insecurity—a crisis that is now expected to worsen.

Climate shocks have deepened the crisis. Extreme weather continues to devastate agriculture, cutting food supplies at a time when families are most in need. As communities begin recovering from El Niño’s disruptions, unpredictable rainfall, and rising temperatures are already threatening food security, public health, and living conditions—making it even harder for millions to rebuild their lives.

Residents walk over debris next to a damaged building in Naypyidaw on March 28, 2025, after an earthquake in central Myanmar. A powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on March 28, buckling roads in the capital Naypyidaw, damaging buildings, and forcing people to flee into the streets in neighboring Thailand. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP) (Photo by SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images).

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Earthquake devastation: an emergency within an emergency

Myanmar was already fragile when the 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck. The disaster has amplified the destruction, leaving many families homeless overnight.

Sagaing, one of Myanmar’s most war-torn regions, has suffered catastrophic damage. The true scale of the devastation is still unknown, but initial reports suggest it far exceeds early predictions. Sagaing is also home to millions of people displaced by the ongoing war, already struggling before the earthquake made survival even more difficult.

Adding to the chaos, a powerful 6.4 aftershock followed just 12 minutes later, shaking communities again. In total, over 10 million people, many of whom were already displaced by the ongoing conflict, experienced strong to extreme shaking.

Survivors urgently need shelter, yet heavy restrictions on humanitarian access and ongoing conflict are making aid delivery extremely difficult.

Muslims react near the rubble of a collapsed building in Mandalay on March 31, 2025, three days after the deadly Myanmar earthquake. Hopes were fading of finding more survivors in the rubble of Mandalay, where some residents spent a third night sleeping in the open after a massive earthquake killed at least 1,700 people in Myanmar and neighbouring Thailand. (Photo by Sai Aung MAIN / AFP) (Photo by SAI AUNG MAIN/AFP via Getty Images).

Myanmar’s neglected humanitarian response

Despite the scale of suffering, Myanmar remains one of the most underfunded humanitarian response plans worldwide. The country has received just 0.25% of global climate adaptation funding, an amount entirely insufficient to respond to disasters of this scale. Global aid cuts will only intensify this.
More than 20 million people require urgent assistance, yet humanitarian organizations face extreme barriers when trying to deliver relief. On top of that, there is little international media coverage and access, leaving the crisis prior to the earthquake hidden from global attention.

Since 2008, ShelterBox has provided aid to communities in Myanmar and Bangladesh, supporting families affected by cyclones, conflict, and displacement—including Rohingya refugees fleeing violence.
We stand ready to respond once again and deliver life-saving emergency shelter, like tents and tarpaulins, as well as water filters, mosquito nets, and solar lights, to those who need them most.

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The first image features rescue workers walk past the debris of a construction site after a building collapsed in Bangkok on March 28, 2025, following an earthquake. A powerful earthquake rocked central Myanmar on March 28, buckling roads in the capital Naypyidaw, damaging buildings, and forcing people to flee into the streets in neighboring Thailand. (Photo by LILLIAN SUWANRUMPHA/AFP via Getty Images).

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A call for urgent action

Myanmar’s crisis cannot be ignored.

Millions have lost their homes, access to healthcare, and safe drinking water. Without intervention, the spread of disease will put even more lives at risk. Families need shelter. Women and children need protection.

Our teams are prepared to respond as soon as access is granted, providing life-saving shelter aid and essential items like tents and tarpaulins, as well as water filters, mosquito nets, and solar lights to families displaced by both conflict and disaster. This work is only possible thanks to donations from people like you.

Your support could provide:

• Emergency shelter like tents and tarpaulins for families who have lost their homes.
• Water filters for clean drinking water and essential household items.
• Solar lights to see after dark.
• Mosquito nets to protect from disease.

Your donation can change lives.

Donate now to support ShelterBox’s responses in places like Myanmar.