More than a week after the disaster, many people in the country are still forced to sleep outdoors as they are still without shelter and wary of their homes being destroyed or even collapsed.
United Nations estimates suggest that over 3 million people may have been affected by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake, exacerbating the previous challenges posed by the four-year civil war.
On Saturday, the UN’s highest aid official met with victims from Mandalay city in central Myanmar.
“Destruction is phenomenal,” Tom Fletcher wrote in X’s post.
“The world must gather behind the people of Myanmar.”
The new toll comes after the country’s military junta chief Min Aung Frening returned to the regional summit in Bangkok on Friday to meet leaders, including the prime ministers of Thailand and India.
General attendance at the summit filed a controversy, with protesters at the venue displaying banners calling him “murderer” and anti-Junta groups denounced his inclusion.
His army has controlled Myanmar since the 2021 coup, where they have taken power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s private government, causing a multifaceted conflict that has not yet been resolved.
The administration reportedly has committed dozens of attacks since the earthquake. For example, the United Nations said on Friday that includes at least 16 since the temporary ceasefire was announced on Wednesday.
The long-standing battle has left Myanmar’s economy and tattered infrastructure, significantly hampering international efforts to provide relief since the trembling.
China, Russia and India were one of the first countries to provide support, sending rescue teams to Myanmar to find survivors.
While the United States has traditionally been at the forefront of international disaster relief, President Donald Trump has dismantled the country’s humanitarian aid agency.
Washington said Friday it added $7 million in addition to its previous $2 million support to Myanmar.
rhm/