Catholic Church fights time and obstacles to help the victims of the earthquake in Myanmar

Rescue teams work counterreloj in Myanmar in search of survivors under the debris after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake last Friday. But the fight is not only against time or high temperatures, of more than 40 degrees.

“The army does not allow help teams to operate freely,” a priest of the diocese of Loikaw, in East of Myanmar, explains to ACI Press.

“The Church is also trying to help, but we find innumerable obstacles. We cannot freely access the affected areas because there are military controls everywhere. Supplies are confiscated, the passage of the volunteers is prevented and in some areas the army does not even allow the victims to receive the assistance they need,” denounces the presbyter, who has asked to maintain their anonymity.

He fears the reprisals of the military regime that took power through a coup in February 2021 and overthrew the democratically elected government of the National League Party for Democracy.

At the moment, the official balance of victims of the earthquake amounts to 2,886 dead, while the injured are approaching 4,639, according to the latest figures shared by the Military Board. This figure is expected to continue increasing.

The devastation extends, above all, by Mandalay, the second largest city in the country, just 17 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake, as well as in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, which is more than 240 kilometers away, and in the Sagaing region, in the northwest of the country.

The Catholic Church, “one of the first to respond” to the tragedy

“Many people are still trapped under debris, but time passes and the possibilities of finding survivors are reduced. In addition, those who managed to leave alive are in deplorable conditions: without food, without drinking water and without refuge. There is a great need for medical assistance, but there are also no access to adequate hospitals,” says the priest.

“People are desperate. This morning I heard a person say: ‘If they can’t give us anything else, at least give us clean water.” That demonstrates the seriousness of the situation, “he adds.

From the first moment, the Catholic Church tried to mobilize to serve the victims. Through Cáritas Myanmar (KMSS), equipment has been coordinated to distribute drinking water, food and medicines.

“The Church has been one of the first to respond to the emergency, but we find barriers in each attempt to help. There are military control stalls on the roads, we are required permission to transport supplies and, in many cases, the military simply confiscate the aid or prevent the passage,” explains the priest.

The Nation, one of the poorest of Asia, has been plunged into a civil war triggered by the 2021 coup d’etat that perpetrated the current Military Board in power. The conflict has displaced 3.5 million people, according to the UN, and has exacerbated poverty and food insecurity.

Despite the humanitarian crisis unleashed after the powerful earthquake, the spiral of violence has not ceased.

“The conflict makes it almost impossible to transfer the aid from one region to another. The Military Board controls access to the main roads, there are seals everywhere and anyone who tries to carry supplies runs the risk of being arrested or that they confiscate everything,” says the priest.

The Archbishop of Rangún and president of the Episcopal Conference of Myanmar, Charles Maung Bo, has asked for a fire in his country to facilitate rescue work. His call has not been successful.

“We have received reports from clashes in some areas, but communications are damaged, which makes it difficult to evaluate the total impact,” says Lisette Suárez, head of the Department of Mental Health and Action Protection against Hunger in Myanmar, one of the associations in charge of gathering foreign humanitarian aid and distributing it to the country.

“It is essential to guarantee safe access and without restrictions on all affected communities, regardless of what control they are,” he insists.

The distribution of humanitarian aid has also been hindered because many roads and main roads “have been completely destroyed” after the tremor.

“In addition, some local airports are still working to restore their operations, which limits air transport of humanitarian aid,” says Suárez.

Without food, water and electricity

To this infrastructure paralysis, administrative problems are added, since many government offices have also suffered damage and part of their staff is directly affected by the tragedy, says Suarez.

“The country was already going through a humanitarian crisis before disaster, with a conflict that limits mobility and safe access to many areas,” he adds.

The supply of electricity and current water remains interrupted, which makes access to health services difficult and increases the risk of spreading disease outbreaks through water and food. In addition, hospitals work at medium gas.

“They are attending patients in the streets, with limited resources and without electricity. The few standing care centers are overwhelmed,” says this acting worker against hunger, an organization that has been in the country for 30 years.

Supply problems also affect food. “The markets have collapsed and there are no access to basic foods. Thousands of families have lost their subsistence means.”

The earthquake has not only worsened the conditions of the internal displaced by the conflict. “It has affected everyone, without distinction. To displaced communities, to those who lived in conflict areas and who are not,” explains Suárez, who also emphasizes the incalculable psychological impact for a population already traumatized by war.

“The earthquake has left a deep brand in the mental health of the population. Not only communities have suffered human and material losses, but also the response teams are working in extremely difficult conditions,” he says.

Despite the difficulties, international aid has begun to come, although the magnitude of the disaster far exceeds local capacities.

“Many organizations are using supplies that had been reserved for the Monzones season (June-October) but they are probably not enough,” says Suarez.

In any case, despite the devastation, the small Catholic community in Myanmar continues to show great resilience. “Our faith is still strong. Despite the difficulties, we are still united, praying and helping each other. We cannot lose hope that better days will come,” concludes the priest.