MYANMAR: BEFORE, DURING & AFTER EMERGENCY
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Myanmar: Before, During & After Emergency
BEFORE: OUR MISSION IN MYANMAR
UNICEF has a mission - to create long-lasting opportunity for children that need it the most. When an emergency strikes, UNICEF does more than just supply short-term aid. We want to be there for every child before, during and after an emergency - Myanmar is a perfect example this.
Myanmar is in a very difficult situation. Children are under constant threat from brutal conflicts and natural disasters. UNICEF has been responding to the needs of children in Myanmar for years now through education, nutrition, vaccines and safe water. But the needs of these children greatly increased in 2025.
This year, Myanmar entered it's fourth year of conflict when the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck. 3,600 people were killed. 3.5 million people were displaced - a third of which were children. Of the 19.9 million people in urgent need of support, 6.4 million are children. Thankfully, UNICEF was already on the ground so we could respond rapidly to the needs of children and their communities.
DURING: OUR RESPONSE TO THE MYANMAR EARTHQUAKE
Water
UNICEF supplied more than 600,000 people with safe water.
Health
We delivered 110+ metric tons of essential health & nutrition supplies to 122,000 people including 28,000 children.
Child Protection
UNICEF reached 50,974 children with child protection services and over 23,000 children benefited from mental health support.
Education
We provided emergency education to 76,000 children through temporary learning spaces, school tents and learning packages.
YATI'S STORY
After the devastating earthquake on March 28, UNICEF stepped in to help children like Yati Naing Oo. She recently received an assistive walking device to regain her mobility and continue her education. This support means she can move around more easily, attend school, and take important steps toward rebuilding her life.
"That day, I was playing with my friends upstairs at my friend’s house when I heard a loud, terrifying noise and the whole building collapsed. I was trapped under the rubble for about nine hours before being rescued that night. My right leg was crushed and broken; it was so painful I couldn’t stop crying. One of my friends who was playing with me didn’t survive,".
"I can’t walk more than three minutes. I really want to go back to school because I miss my friends so much, and it’s so lonely and boring staying at home. Now that I have this walking assistive device, I can walk a bit longer, and it’s helping me go to school. The physiotherapists also come to my home to help me exercise, and I’m slowly starting to feel better. But even this morning, there was another aftershock and we had to run out of school again," she said.
AFTER: WORK TO BE DONE
For children in Myanmar, it can feel like an emergency is always around the corner.
Children's lives are constantly disrupted by natural disasters and conflict. 4.7 million children have limited or no access to education. Myanmar has one of the highest rates in the world of children who have not received any vaccines.
Despite paying the heaviest price for the ongoing conflict, more than 90 per cent of young people lack access to mental health care and nearly 9 million children need protection services in 2025.
That is why UNICEF remains on the ground, long after an emergency. We will remain committed to all children in Myanmar. There is no short term solution to ensuring that all children in Myanmar are thriving. So to ensure that no child is left behind, we will be there before, during and after an emergency.
