ASIA/THAILAND - Immediate intervention of the Camillian Missionaries in response to the populations affected by the earthquake in Myanmar

Bangkok (Agenzia Fides) - "At the moment, the biggest obstacle is reaching the affected areas. In addition, many volunteers and foreign organizations have not yet received authorization to enter the country, in accordance with government protocols. However, the Catholic Church is monitoring the situation so that aid can be better received and facilitated," said Father Rocco Sriprasert (MI), Director of Camillian Disaster Service International (CADIS) in Thailand and Caritas Thailand, who participated in a meeting organized by Caritas Asia, in collaboration with the Church of Myanmar and Caritas Myanmar (Karuna Mission Social Solidarity, KMSS), where an assessment of the situation on the ground was presented.
"The survivors need emergency shelter, canned food, water, and medicine. The political situation is also putting pressure on humanitarian organizations, which must accelerate their aid programs," emphasizes KMSS, with which CADIS will collaborate on the ground to begin planning the initial response.
During an online conference convened by CADIS yesterday, April 1, members from Thailand, India, and their partners – St. John's Medical College and Mission Calcutta – discussed possible interventions, establishing contacts on the ground, and launching a fundraising campaign. They also discussed the possibility of networking with the government of Myanmar to mobilize disaster relief teams and collaborate with medical and nursing teams to address specific medical needs. According to CADIS, a joint emergency response team is being prepared to assist the survivors of the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, 2025, with its epicenter in Sagaing (see Fides, 28/3/2025). According to Myanmar's Army Chief of Staff Min Aung Hlaing, more than 2,700 people have been killed so far, and the number is expected to rise in the coming hours. Traumatized survivors sleep on the streets near the epicenter in the devastated cities of Mandalay and Sagaing, while the stench of bodies buried under rubble fills the area. There are shortages of food, medicine, and water, and the monsoon season is expected to begin in May. (AP) (Agenzia Fides, 2/4/2025)

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