March 31 (Reuters) – Rescue workers, sniffer dogs, paramedics and millions of dollars in aid began arriving in Myanmar after a massive earthquake ravaged much of the war-torn country.
About 2,000 people have so far been reported dead in Friday’s magnitude 7.7 earthquake where millions were already displaced by a civil war triggered by the 2021 military coup.
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The quake is the deadliest natural disaster to hit Myanmar in years and has damaged critical infrastructure across the country of 55 million people.
Here is a look at the major aid contributors:
CHINA
Beijing sent the first batch of $13.9 million in emergency aid to Myanmar on Monday, state news agency Xinhua reported.
According to the China International Development Cooperation Agency, the initial supplies included tents, blankets and first aid kits, Xinhua said.
INDIA
India sent a search and rescue team, medical professionals and a military transport aircraft filled with blankets, hygiene kits, food packets and other essential items on Saturday.
New Delhi has since sent at least four more aircraft and four ships carrying relief material, a special military medical unit and members of its disaster response agency.
UNITED STATES
The United States pledged $2 million in aid “through Myanmar-based humanitarian assistance organizations”. It said in a statement that an emergency response team from USAID, which is undergoing massive cuts under the Trump administration, is being sent to Myanmar.
VIETNAM
Vietnam has sent a team of more than 100 rescuers, medical staff and firefighters along with aids and sniffer dogs.
“The most important task of the Vietnamese rescue force is to focus on searching for and rescuing survivors,” Vietnam’s Ministry of Defence said on Monday.
State media reported that Vietnam had also sent $300,000 in aid to Myanmar.
SOUTH KOREA
South Korea said it would provide $2 million in initial humanitarian aid through international organisations to help Myanmar respond to Friday’s earthquake.
“The Korean government hopes that this support will help efforts to save lives in the affected areas, and will closely monitor the damage situation and consider additional support if necessary,” its foreign ministry said on Saturday.
THAILAND
Thailand, which was also hit by the quake, has sent 55 air force personnel including medics and search and rescue specialists as well as medical supplies to Myanmar.
RUSSIA
Two Russian aircraft carrying 60 rescue workers, four dogs, ambulances and rescue vehicles arrived in Myanmar’s capital Naypyitaw on Sunday, Myanmar’s state broadcaster MRTV reported.
JAPAN
The Japanese government has dispatched a five-person assessment party that includes medical professionals to lay the groundwork for a larger emergency rescue team.
The government said it would provide emergency relief supplies such as daily necessities for disaster victims, and was in the final stages of determining what to include in the relief packages.
SINGAPORE
Singapore has sent an 80-member team to assist with disaster rescue efforts. The government contributed SGD 150,000 ($111,940.30) as seed money to support the fundraising efforts of the Singapore Red Cross.
MALAYSIA
Malaysia pledged 10 million ringgit ($2.25 million) in humanitarian aid to the earthquake victims and deployed a 50-member disaster relief team on Sunday. Malaysia, this year’s chair of ASEAN, a 10-member grouping of Southeast Asian nations including Myanmar, said the organisation would also send a humanitarian mission to Myanmar this week.
NEW ZEALAND
New Zealand said it would contribute NZ$2 million ($1.14 million) to the International Red Cross to support their humanitarian responders.
PHILIPPINES
The Philippines said it was deploying 114 personnel, including search and rescue teams, medical assistance teams and ASEAN emergency responders. They are scheduled to travel to Myanmar on April 1.
TAIWAN
Taiwan’s Red Cross donated $50,000 for disaster relief, but its fire department on Sunday night stood down the 120-person rescue team it had put on standby. Taiwan’s foreign ministry said it has offered to liaise with Myanmar on ways it can provide help.
($1 = 1.3400 Singapore dollars)
($1 = 4.4350 ringgit)
Reporting by Khanh Vu in Hanoi, Josh Smith in Seoul, Ben Blanchard in Taipei, Karen Lima in Manila, Kiyoshi Takenaka in Tokyo, Tanvi Mehta in New Delhi, Lucy Craymer in Wellington, Chayut Setboonsarng in Bangkok and Xinghui Kok in Singapore; Writing by Saad Sayeed; Editing by Kate Mayberry
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
