Note: All gifts of $2 or more are tax deductible. Any donations received that exceed what is required to support this emergency will be directed to other areas of greatest humanitarian need, helping assist more children facing global crises and conflicts.
Photo: Resident carries belongings over rubble of damaged building in Naypyidaw. © Sai Aung MAIN / AFP
A huge 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Mandalay, Myanmar on Friday 28 March, causing widespread destruction.
Thousands have already been confirmed dead, with many more reported injured or missing. Over the coming days and weeks, the death toll is expected to rise over 10,000.
Critical infrastructure has been destroyed, houses and other buildings have collapsed not – just in Myanmar but in neighbouring Thailand as well – and hospitals are inundated. In fact, 90% of buildings damaged or collapsed are homes. Road, internet and telecommunication networks are also disrupted.
The tremors were so powerful they were felt in neighbouring countries, Thailand, India, Laos, Bangladesh, and China. Aftershocks continue to pose risks.
Plan International is responding to this disaster, with teams already deployed close to the epicentre in Mandalay. We are working urgently to assess the immediate needs of children and communities and stand ready to provide life-saving aid.
In the first 72 hours we have reached 3,000 people with food, blankets, and lanterns, and distributed 500 dignity kits.
As always, protection for girls and children remains central to our response. Impacts on children, especially girls, include heightened risks of family separation, psychosocial distress, disrupted education, and exposure to waterborne diseases and exploitation.
We will need your help to reach as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. Will you please donate today and help us provide urgent life-saving aid?
Haider Yaqub, Plan International Myanmar’s Country Director, reports from Mandalay where Plan International’s emergency response team is assessing the needs following the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck on 28 March 2025.
I’m standing here at a place which used to be a prayer place for everyone, a place for meditation. Today we see the ruins of it, and I can smell the flesh burning here, at this location. It’s very very sad to see all this.
The first days after a disaster are critical to saving as many lives as possible. Plan International is on the ground and ready to ensure children are protected in the aftermath of the Myanmar earthquake. With your help, we can provide:
But we must act quickly. Donate now.
*Any donations we receive over and above what’s needed for this emergency will be redirected to our emergency standby fund to allow us to respond quickly and effectively to future humanitarian emergencies. Thank you for your generosity.
