Disaster Response Myanmar Project #69278

Earthquake relief Myanmar

Project Report | Mar 13, 2026
Inclusive Disaster Prevention Measures in Myanmar

By Christoph Lubczyk | Project Leader

Preparing for natural disasters can be 
particularly challenging for people with 
disabilities whose mobility or daily 
activities are limited. What initially 
seems complex can often be managed with 
relatively simple measures. The same 
principle applies to people with 
disabilities as to everyone else: good 
preparation significantly increases 
safety in the event of a disaster. Since 
natural hazards are frequent in Myanmar, 
preparedness is especially important here.

In Kayin State, Myanmar, support 
initiatives are focused on helping 
people with disabilities and their 
communities build resilience against 
increasingly heavy monsoon rains. In recent 
decades, the monsoon cycle has changed 
significantly: while its duration has 
decreased, the intensity of rainfall and 
storms has increased. Due to its many rivers 
and heavy seasonal rainfall, Kayin is 
particularly vulnerable to flooding. 

Efforts in the region emphasize inclusive 
disaster preparedness, actively involving 
people with disabilities and their 
organizations in planning, implementation, 
and monitoring. Communities are encouraged 
to include people with disabilities and 
other vulnerable groups in local disaster 
preparedness initiatives. Support includes 
assistance with organization at the community 
and state levels, training, facilitating 
access to assistive devices such as wheelchairs 
and crutches, and promoting participation in 
forums and awareness campaigns. A disaster 
preparedness task force has also been 
established in Kayin State.

Other activities focus on strengthening local 
disaster preparedness systems. Inclusive disaster 
preparedness committees are being formed, 
emergency kits are being distributed, and joint 
risk analyses are helping to identify 
vulnerabilities and capacities. Inclusive early 
warning systems are being developed at the community 
level, while schools and communities are being 
trained in early warning, first aid, and search 
and rescue through simulation exercises. Evacuation 
centers are being made more accessible. 

Thank you for your kind donation!

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Nov 14, 2025
Low Levels of Aid Jeopardize Inclusive Reconstruct

By Christoph Lubczyk | Project Leader

Following the devastating 7.7 magnitude 
earthquake in Myanmar, the partner 
organization of Aktion Deutschland 
Hilft,  CARE, conducted its own survey 
to analyze the emergency relief provided 
so far. The survey focused on the 
situation of women and disadvantaged groups.

Preparing Vulnerable Households for Crises
The survey revealed that cash assistance 
provided immediately after the disaster was 
a direct and effective lifeline for many 
families. However, sufficient funds are 
lacking for reconstruction, particularly 
to support vulnerable or weakened population 
groups.

Women, people with disabilities, and 
low-income households who were already 
disadvantaged before the disaster now require 
more inclusive aid tailored to their specific 
needs.

How CARE Helped After the Disaster
To date, our partner organization, CARE, has 
been able to provide 6,560 people with cash 
assistance to purchase urgently needed goods. 
“We lost everything in the earthquake. With the 
cash, we were able to buy things like rice, oil, 
and charcoal for initial supplies, but most 
importantly, medicine. Because immediately after 
the earthquake, there was hardly any medical 
care, and the hospital was completely 
overcrowded,” reports one of the victims.

“During this difficult time, this money was an 
enormous relief, because we received exactly 
the help we needed.”

Myanmar: Inflation Drives Up Prices
Although most markets in the affected region have 
now reopened, high transportation costs and 
inflation are driving prices up. Basic foodstuffs 
such as salt, potatoes, and pulses have become 
almost ten percent more expensive on average, 
while hygiene and shelter products—such as 
shampoo, blankets, and ropes—have increased by 
13 to 25 percent.

More than a third of those surveyed stated that 
they cannot afford basic goods despite the open 
markets. This is hitting low-income households 
and people who lost everything in the earthquake 
particularly hard.

CARE Calls on the International Community to Take Action
"While many families confirm that their basic needs 
are currently being met, reconstruction is far from 
over," says Country Director of CARE Myanmar. "For it 
to succeed, it is crucial that support reaches women 
and the most vulnerable people directly."

CARE calls on donors and the international community 
to support inclusive reconstruction efforts that 
address both acute needs and long-term recovery, so 
that no one is left behind in Myanmar's reconstruction.

Thank you for your donation!

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Jul 21, 2025
100 Days Later: The Help Continues

By Christoph Lubczyk | Project Leader

Almost 100 days after the severe 
earthquake in Myanmar, many people 
are still living in temporary 
emergency shelters. The already 
precarious situation in affected 
regions is further worsening during 
the monsoon season.

Thanks to a large amount of donations, 
alliance organizations of Aktion 
Deutschland Hilft are able to help people 
meet their basic needs for food, drinking 
water, and medical care, as well as
prepare for the monsoon rains.

Myanmar: An Initial Assessment of Aid
Another focus is on restoring shelters to 
provide a safe roof over people's heads and 
protection from impending flooding. Teams of 
our alliance organization, World Vision, have 
been intensively preparing for the rainy 
season. In May, an aid shipment of 
weatherproof tarpaulins and other materials 
arrived and has been distributed in Mandalay 
in recent weeks.

This has enabled over 30,000 families to be 
provided with shelter. At the same time, the 
emergency aid teams are building new handwashing 
facilities, installing water filtration systems, 
and preparing repairs to larger facilities, 
supplemented by educational work on disease 
prevention.

"We see that the made donations are making a 
huge difference in the plight of hundreds of 
thousands of people. But without continued 
support, many families will not be able to 
compensate for the loss of their livelihoods 
and would remain stuck in a spiral of poverty 
for a long time," says Country Director in 
Myanmar at World Vision.

Preparing for impending floods
Immediately after the earthquake, teams of the 
alliance organization Malteser International 
and their partners were on site to provide 
people with clean drinking water, medical 
assistance, and sanitation facilities.

To date, they are supporting people in three 
temporarily set up camps, including psychosocial 
support, medical care, and food. The Malteser 
International team on site reports that major 
flooding is expected and the situation must be 
reassessed daily.

Enormous need for medical assistance
Another alliance organization of Aktion Deutschland 
Hilft, Johanniter International, together with a 
local partner, operates mobile clinics in the 
particularly hard-hit region around the city of 
Mandalay. Up to 400 patients can be cared for 
there daily.

"The need for medical care is great. Many people 
come to the clinic not only because of physical 
ailments, but also to have someone to talk to," 
says Regional Office Director Southeast Asia for 
the Johanniter. "After months of stress, trauma, 
and uncertainty, a listening ear is sometimes as 
healing as any medicine."

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