A DISASTER emergency organisation says it is “incredibly grateful” to the Scottish public for raising more than £1.5 million to help people in Myanmar affected by the recent earthquake.
A 7.7-magnitude quake struck central Myanmar at around 1.10pm local time on March 28.
The epicentre was located around 17 kilometres south-east of Mandalay, the country’s second largest city.
The Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) launched an appeal last week in response to the disaster, with £16m raised so far across the whole of the UK – of which £1.5m came from Scots.
The DEC says the Sagaing and Mandalay regions felt the brunt of the earthquake, with the UN saying an estimated 17m people have been affected by the initial quake and its subsequent aftershocks.
Charities partnered with the DEC in Myanmar have since warned the risk of disease has grown, with heavy rain making conditions for families in makeshift shelters worse.
A shortage of clean water and sanitation has increased the risk of waterborne diseases, such as diarrhoea and cholera, according to the DEC’s sources on the front lines.
The DEC have called for more medical support to support those affected by the risk of disease.
The organisation said more than 150,000 pregnant women are living in areas affected by the devastation.
It said they face giving birth where food, water, and medicine are scarce, adding some women may not be able to breast feed their children due to the trauma of the earthquake.
Sandar, a 30-year-old mother-of-two, including a newborn, from the Mandalay region, said: “I’m worried for both of my children.
“I don’t even know what to say. I’m also worried about how we’ll survive in the future – how we’ll live, how we’ll eat.
“As a mother of a newborn, I need healthcare. My baby had a runny nose and signs of asthma.
“I used coconut oil and traditional medicine to relieve her. Medicine is what we need the most.”
The coming weekend marks the beginning of Thingyan, Myanmar’s new year, but thousands of families will spend the occasion toughing out the consequences of the quake rather than celebrating.
Jamie Livingstone, the head of Oxfam in Scotland and DEC spokesperson, said: “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated to the Myanmar earthquake appeal so far, as people continue to feel the severe impacts of the disaster.
“Donations are already making a real difference to people living in the most difficult circumstances.
“As the full picture emerges of the need for assistance, please do continue to give if you can.”
Donations can be made here or on the DEC website.
