What’s happening in Myanmar?

On 28 March 2025, a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake devastated huge areas of Myanmar. 

Thousands of people were killed, and hundreds of thousands more lost their homes, businesses and livelihoods. The disaster compounded an already dire humanitarian crisis in the country, with a third of the population in need of humanitarian aid. 

Since the appeal launch, needs have remained high, as the earthquake damage and living conditions have been compounded by monsoon rains and flooding, as well as ongoing conflict.

One year on, funds from the DEC’s Myanmar Earthquake Appeal are continuing to support people impacted by the earthquake as they rebuild their lives and look towards the future.

What help has reached people after the Myanmar earthquake?

Since launching in March 2025, the Myanmar Earthquake Appeal an incredible £28 million* has been raised thanks to generous UK donations. In the first six months of the response, DEC-funded charities reached over 533,000 people with vital support. This includes:

• 159,900 people were supported with cash or voucher assistance so they have the flexibility to meet their specific needs, for example to buy food, clothes or basic household items. 
   
• 153,800 people were provided with improved access to drinking water by rehabilitating water points and water trucking. 
   
• 47,000 people were provided with temporary shelter, such as tents, tarpaulins and shelter toolkits, as well as housing renovations and construction.
   
• 46,800 people were reached with food assistance in the form of food baskets, hot meals or vouchers for food. 
   
• 45,200 people were reached with improved access to primary healthcare, medical supplies, paediatric consultations and nutrition support. 
   
• 43,100 people received mental health and psychosocial support or other protection services including the establishment of child friendly spaces, wellbeing support and community awareness raising sessions.  

This support has helped families meet immediate needs and begin rebuilding their lives in the months following the earthquake.
 

Rebuilding homes 

Last year’s earthquake displaced around 207,000 people in the affected region and left more than 157,000 buildings destroyed, devastating communities. Across impacted areas, families continue to rebuild homes damaged or destroyed by the earthquake.

In the first six months, DEC funded charities supported 47,600 people with temporary shelter, including tents, tarpaulins and shelter toolkits, as well as helping families repair and rebuild their homes.

Communities, local carpenters and engineers are working together to build safer homes using locally available materials. This approach helps ensure homes are more resilient to future earthquakes and flooding, while respecting traditional building styles.
 

How people are restoring their livelihoods

For many families, the earthquake destroyed not only homes but also incomes. In the first six months of the response, 159,900 people received cash or voucher support, giving families the flexibility to meet their most urgent needs and begin rebuilding their livelihoods.

A key part of every DEC response is the distribution of cash payments or vouchers. They allow people to spend money quickly, making their own decisions about what their biggest needs are, and giving people flexibility in their spending to help them regain a sense of independence, including enabling farming families to buy seeds, tools and other essentials to restart production.

Following the earthquake, the floating farms in the Inle Lake areas were severely damaged, leaving many families without a source of income. A DEC funded project is supporting communities to rebuild these farms through collective effort. 

Volunteers work together on a rotational basis, helping each household restore their land and gradually recover their livelihoods. 

Supporting young people

In the first 6 months of the DEC response, 43,100 people have received mental health and psychosocial support, including children accessing safe spaces and support to cope with trauma and return to learning. 

In addition, over 17,300 people have been supported through education activities, including temporary learning spaces and “Back to Learning” programmes.

In response to the needs of the families, DEC charities and their local partners helped set up seven child friendly spaces that were established in collaboration with churches and local communities.

I was also affected by the earthquake. I had trauma and worried about another earthquake. So I wanted to help the children suffering like me.​

One of the children, she didn't want to go anywhere. She had lost some of her friends in the earthquake. When she joined, she didn't talk with other children. But after a few days, she told us that she enjoyed coming.”

- Wai Zin, aid worker in Myanmar

The programme ran for four weeks, one day per week, with activities like drawing, singing and sessions focused helping the children cope with their grief over losing friends and family, overcome their fears and have a place where they could play and learn and have a chance to forget and play.
 

How communities are recovering

DEC charities are also supporting communities with access to clean water and healthcare. 

In the first six months 153,800 people gained improved access to safe drinking water. In communities where water sources were damaged, DEC charities worked with local people to restore access to clean water. 

Using DEC funds, water systems such as pipelines, boreholes and rainwater harvesting were installed in local villages. Communities were involved in designing and managing these systems, helping ensure long-term access to safe water and the promotion of better hygiene practices.

More than 45,200 people were reached with improved access to primary healthcare, medical supplies, paediatric consultations and nutrition support, as well as 43,100 people receiving mental health and psychosocial support. This includes services delivered through mobile health clinics, maternal and child healthcare, treatment for illness and injury.
 

A challenging context

One year on, many families are still facing significant challenges.

Some people remain in temporary shelters, while others continue to rebuild homes and restore their livelihoods. Access to clean water, healthcare and stable sources of income remains limited for many communities. The earthquake struck in a context where humanitarian needs were already high, worsening an existing crisis and leaving millions in urgent need of support. 

Homes, hospitals and infrastructure were destroyed, while living conditions continued to deteriorate in the immediate months after because of ongoing pressures such as displacement, damaged services and seasonal flooding.