REACT Responders Strive for Access as Earthquake Devastation Mounts in Myanmar

Pictured: Displaced people sit outside the Lel Monastery, Chanthar Aung Quarter in Mandalay, Myanmar - Wednesday 03 April 2025. Credit: REACT

REACT’s advance team are still in Bangkok, working relentlessly to cut through diplomatic red tape and gain access to earthquake-hit communities in Myanmar. As images of flattened villages, makeshift shelters and families sleeping in the open begin to emerge, the devastation and urgency could not be more stark.

“Lizzy and I have been here since Tuesday afternoon,” said Responder Caroline O’Callaghan this morning. “We’ve spent the last few days liaising with all the other NGOs who are here, positioned, ready to go into Myanmar to help with the earthquake response. The main challenge is getting visas - and that’s true for everybody, including the UN. But we’re pushing as hard as we can, and it does look as if the system is beginning to unlock a bit.”

The team has met with multiple international partners including UNDAC, Halo Trust, TaskForce Kiwi, ShelterBox, and the British Embassy, gathering critical information and building alliances that will help REACT deliver aid effectively once access is granted. Additional REACT teams in the UK are ready to deploy at a moment’s notice.

Communities in Crisis

Inside Myanmar, the picture is grim. The earthquake has killed over 3,000 people, injured thousands more, and displaced entire communities across Mandalay, Sagaing, and beyond. In Mandalay alone, families are sheltering in open spaces, having lost everything. Roads and bridges have been destroyed, and hospitals are overwhelmed or no longer functioning.

Ongoing conflict and political instability are compounding the crisis, making it one of the most complex disaster responses REACT has faced in recent years.

The Window Is Narrow: Your Support Matters

Gaining access to Myanmar is not easy, but REACT’s team is not giving up. And once the door opens, it will open fast. That’s why we must be ready to respond. Two Response Teams stand ready to deploy, to help with whatever the people of Myanmar need to survive, be it access to clean water, food, shelter or medical support.

Donating to our Rapid Response Fund will make that possible.

It powers our planning. It funds emergency kits. It ensures we can deploy the moment access is granted. Most of all, it brings help to people who are scared, displaced, and uncertain about what comes next.

Donate

Donations will support REACT's humanitarian response to the Myanmar Earthquake as part of our Rapid Response Fund. Any surplus funds will be used to support training, resourcing and equipment to prepare REACT to respond to future disasters.