Devastating earthquake hits Myanmar
On 28 March, a powerful 7.7 earthquake struck in the early afternoon, with a 6.4 magnitude earthquake following just two minutes later. Strong tremors were felt over 1,300 kilometres away in Bangkok, Thailand with buildings collapsing and lives lost. The force of the earthquake was devastating and the impact on children and families is only just emerging.
Initial reports and footage show severe damage to buildings and roads in the cities of Sagaing, Nay Pyi Taw and Mandalay – the second largest city in the country. These cities are home to hundreds of thousands of children.
Latest reports indicate over 1,600 people have been killed and over 3,400 injured. The situation on the ground is evolving rapidly as rescue teams search for survivors.
Our teams are on the ground in affected areas, assessing the impact and preparing to support the humanitarian response.
Millions of children around the world face devastating losses and uncertain futures caused by natural disasters, public health crises and ongoing wars and conflicts.
In places including Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ukraine, Haiti and beyond, humanitarian emergencies are unfolding around the world. Children are losing their homes, schools and loved ones, and a lack of access to food, water and healthcare is causing immense challenges.
Globally, children live in severe food poverty, making them up to 50 per cent more likely to experience ‘wasting’, a life-threatening form of malnutrition. And although parents and caregivers are doing everything they can, devastatingly, children living in places like Gaza, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen are at high risk of famine.
Your gift will make a difference.
We can’t stop emergencies from happening, but we can ensure that more children survive. That means being on the ground, delivering lifesaving support during emergencies and assisting with long-term support in the years after a crisis to help restore vital programs and ensure every child is healthy, educated and safe from harm.
We are working alongside our partners to provide urgent assistance to children and families caught in emergencies.
Every year, UNICEF responds to hundreds of emergencies, delivering lifesaving support, safeguarding children’s rights and protecting them from harm. From emergency relief to long-term development solutions, UNICEF is 100 per cent donor funded.
How will my donation help children?
When you donate to support our emergency work, you can help us reach the world’s most vulnerable children and their communities in places like Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine, Haiti and Myanmar. We’re there for every child, no matter what.
- $90 could help provide 18,000 water purification tablets, each able to create up to five litres of clean drinking water.
- $133 could help provide 253 sachets of Plumpy’Nut®, a therapeutic peanut paste, to help save the lives of two children with malnutrition.
- $311 could help provide a School-in-a-Box so 40 children can continue their education.
- 80¢on average, 80 cents to every dollar spent for the past three years went directly to helping children in need, including long-term programs, emergency response and community education.
- 20¢on average, 14 cents to every dollar spent for the past three years went to essential fundraising costs that helped us generate more impact for children, 6 cents went to admin costs, such as keeping your personal data safe.
How do we use each dollar donated?
Your gift will support children impacted by this emergency, and crisis around the world. If you choose to donate monthly or should we receive more funds than is needed for this emergency, your gift will support UNICEF's work where the need is greatest. Find out more about our financial management in our annual report.
When war breaks out or disaster strikes, you can make a difference.
UNICEF is on the ground, providing urgent assistance to children and their families. But we can’t do it alone. We need your help to always be there. No matter what.