‘It Was Terrifying’ - Children Prepare To Spend Myanmar New Year Festival In Shelters Following Earthquake

YANGON/BANGKOK, 31 March 2025 - On the morning that Myanmar’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck, 16-year-old student Yoon May- was having lunch at home in Mandalay and contemplating having a nap when she suddenly felt dizzy.

"I couldn’t process what was happening. I just ran. I barely escaped. The moment I stepped outside, bricks started falling from the ceiling. We all ran to the open field near our house. "This was the first earthquake I had ever experienced. It was terrifying."

The earthquake on 28 March - the most powerful one in a century to hit Myanmar - caused extensive damage to infrastructure, as well as disrupting electricity and telecommunications services across the country.

More than 1,700 people have now been confirmed dead, and at least 3,400 people have been injured. Many others are still missing, and there is a high likelihood that the death toll could be significantly higher. [1]

The earthquake happened ahead of Myanmar’s New Year celebration, a traditional water festival known as ‘Thingyan’, which normally occurs in mid-April and is a time of festivity for four to five days, particularly for children.

This year, there will be no such celebrations for children and families affected by the earthquake.

"I had just finished my exams and was looking forward to celebrating Thingyan with my friends and visiting my aunt’s house. But now, all I want to do is cry. I’m so lucky I didn’t fall asleep-I’m not a light sleeper. If I had, I don’t know what would have happened."

Yoon May’s family home was badly damaged, and her family have been left without water and electricity. They are now living in an open field, with only a mosquito net to protect them.

"I haven’t been able to sleep at all. Last night, we received an alert that another aftershock could hit between 1 am and 3 am. And it did."

Hospitals, both public and private, are overwhelmed with people seeking medical care and many people have sought shelter in monasteries, football fields, and open spaces for fear of aftershocks.

Save the Children and our partners are providing lifesaving aid in earthquake affected areas in Myanmar with an immediate need for water, food and health care services for children and their families. We aim to provide cash to families so they can buy food, medicine and other essentials as well as access to clean water, essential hygiene and sanitation items and health services.

Save the Children has been working in Myanmar since 1995, providing life-saving healthcare, food and nutrition, education and child protection programmes.

Notes

[1] UN News https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/03/1161716

- Name changed. 

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