Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday all-out support and extended condolences to Myanmar’s leadership and people following the deadly earthquake that struck the country on March 28, causing significant loss of life and property.
In a telephone conversation with Myanmar’s junta chief, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, PM Shehbaz conveyed the deep sympathies of the Pakistani government and its citizens over the tragedy.
He assured his Myanmar counterpart that Pakistan stands in solidarity with the affected communities and is ready to assist in alleviating their suffering.
The Prime Minister also announced that, on his directives, Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) would dispatch approximately 70 tons of relief goods to Myanmar. These supplies, aimed at supporting the earthquake victims, were set to arrive in two sorties within the next 48 hours.
Expressing confidence in the resilience of Myanmar’s people, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed hope that they would soon recover from the disaster. He reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to humanitarian support and disaster relief efforts whenever needed.
In response, PM Hlaing expressed gratitude to the Pakistani government and people for their timely assistance and solidarity during this challenging period. He acknowledged the humanitarian aid as a meaningful gesture of friendship and support in Myanmar’s time of need.
The devastating earthquake on March 28 has left a profound impact on Myanmar, with rescue and relief operations underway as authorities work to provide aid to those affected.
The toll from Myanmar’s earthquake continued to rise on Sunday as foreign rescue teams and aid rushed into the impoverished country, where hospitals were overwhelmed and some communities scrambled to mount rescue efforts with limited resources.
The 7.7-magnitude quake, one of Myanmar’s strongest in a century, jolted the war-torn Southeast Asian nation on Friday, leaving around 1,700 people dead, 3,400 injured, and over 300 missing as of Sunday, the military government said.
The junta chief, Senior General Hlaing, warned that the number of fatalities could rise, state media reported, three days after he made a rare call for international assistance.
“The destruction has been extensive, and humanitarian needs are growing by the hour,” the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said in a statement.
The United States pledged $2 million in aid “through Myanmar-based humanitarian assistance organizations” and said in a statement that an emergency response team from USAID, which is undergoing massive cuts under the Trump administration, is deploying to Myanmar.
The devastation has piled more misery on Myanmar, already in chaos from a civil war that grew out of a nationwide uprising after a 2021 military coup ousted the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
Critical infrastructure – including bridges, highways, airports and railways – across the country of 55 million lie damaged, slowing humanitarian efforts while the conflict that has battered the economy, displaced over 3.5 million people and debilitated the health system rages on.
The military council has rejected requests from international journalists to cover the devastation, citing the lack of water, electricity and hotels.
— With additional input from APP/Reuters.
