How we’re supporting Myanmar after quake

Jack Skett explains how an Elim Relief Appeal has been launched to help those affected by a devastating earthquake in the country earlier this year.

On 28 March, an earthquake of 7.7 magnitude hit ten miles north-west of Sagaing in Myanmar. The quake struck at about 12:50 (06:20 GMT), and a second earthquake struck twelve minutes later, with a magnitude of 6.4. Its epicentre was eleven miles south of Sagaing. This is also near Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, which has a population of some 1.5 million people. Mandalay is about 60 miles north of the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

Aftershocks have continued since — one soon after the original quake with a magnitude of 5.1 rocked an area north-west of Mandalay. At present, it is estimated that 10,000 people have been killed.

When news of the earthquake reached Elim Missions, we began gathering information from our Elim Global Partner in Myanmar to ascertain how we can help. When crisis situations happen around the world, and we are positioned to help, we launch an Elim Relief Appeal (ERA) to gather financial support from the Elim churches in the UK.

At the beginning of April, we launched an ERA, and by the end of that month we had raised over £7,000. We were able to send funds into Myanmar very quickly, even prior to the ERA being launched, due to the Crisis Response Fund we set up as part of our Christmas Appeal in 2023.

Our Elim Global Partner in Myanmar (who cannot be named for security reasons) is based near Yangon, which has so far been largely unaffected by the quakes. The church there is working to support those affected by the earthquakes.

Funds sent thanks to the ERA have been used to purchase food, water and essential medical supplies. Teams from the church in Yangon have travelled to the affected region to deliver these supplies and help in any way they can.

Additionally, our partners Samaritan’s Purse are deploying into the region, bringing healthcare facilities and supplies along with other practical aid. They have set up an emergency field hospital near the capital, which has served more than 1,000 patients and conducted many surgeries. They have set up their field hospital in a local football stadium to relieve the overloaded medical facilities in the area, many of which were damaged by the earthquakes.

As the relief efforts continue, we ask for your ongoing support. Our partners are making regular journeys to the affected region, taking essential supplies and support. Details of how to give to the ERA can be found on our website.

This article first appeared in Direction Magazine. For further details, please click here.