UNICEF Geneva Palais briefing note: The impact of the earthquake in Myanmar on children
This is a summary of what was said by UNICEF’s Deputy Representative, Julia Rees – to whom quoted text may be attributed – on the current situation in Myanmar at today’s Palais briefing
YANGON/GENEVA, 1 April 2025 – “The deadliest earthquake to hit Myanmar in many decades has hit children the hardest.
“I have just returned from some of the worst-affected locations, where I joined our teams in the delivery of initial assistance. What I saw was devastating.
“Entire communities have been flattened. Children and families are sleeping in the open, with no homes to return to. I met children who were in shock after witnessing their homes collapse or the death of family members. Some have been separated from their parents. Others are still unaccounted for.
“The destruction is immense. Homes, schools, hospitals, and critical infrastructure—such as bridges and power lines—have been damaged or destroyed, leaving the population without electricity and telecommunications. Entire communities are without water, food, shelter, medicines and money.
“And yet, this crisis is still unfolding. The tremors are continuing. Search and rescue operations are ongoing. Bodies are still being pulled from the rubble. I was at a hospital yesterday where a search and rescue team pulled 20 bodies out over the last two days. That morning, they pulled out three bodies and found one person alive. Children are still anxiously waiting to be reunited with missing parents. Parents are desperately searching for their children.
“The psychological trauma is immense. For children who were already living through conflict and displacement, this disaster has added yet another layer of fear and loss.
“From our pre-positioned stocks, UNICEF and partners have begun delivering emergency water, sanitation and hygiene kits, medical kits and nutrition supplies. We are working in incredibly challenging conditions—without electricity or running water and with no sanitation – often sleeping outside – like the communities we serve.
“We are also mobilizing an additional 80 metric tons of critical supplies from our global hubs. But this is not enough—not for the scale of the disaster we are facing.
“Let me be clear: the needs are massive, and they are rising by the hour. The window for life-saving response is closing. Across the affected areas, families are facing acute shortages of clean water, food, and medical supplies.
“Even before this earthquake, over 6.5 million children in Myanmar were in need of humanitarian assistance. One in three displaced people in the country is a child. Now, the earthquake has added another layer of crisis, pushing already vulnerable families past the brink.
“We are calling on the international community to respond with urgency. We urgently need funding to scale up our response. So far, less than 10 per cent of UNICEF’s 2025 Humanitarian Action for Children appeal for Myanmar has been received. Without additional resources, we cannot reach every child in need.
“Children with serious injuries need urgent care. Many are deeply traumatized, having lost loved ones or been pulled from the rubble themselves. The longer we wait, the deeper the impact on children’s lives and futures.”
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