A severe earthquake with magnitude 7.7 has struck Myanmar and Thailand today. The quake occurred at 12:50 p.m. local time near the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar. Tremors were also felt in Thailand, more than 1,000 kilometers away. Initial reports speak of major destruction in several cities in Myanmar, with residential and office buildings, bridges and historic buildings being completely destroyed in some cases. Official information on the number of casualties is not yet available from the affected countries.

Our teams will now work with local partner organizations to launch an acute emergency relief effort. We will initially provide the most severely affected with food, clothing, hygiene products, tarpaulins, buckets, blankets, and soap. An emergency assessment team from Malteser International HQ in Cologne is in transit to support our colleagues on the ground in the region.

We are providing 250,000 euros immediately to support the people affected by the earthquake. However, this is just the beginning, because countless people have lost all their belongings, their homes, and loved ones today. They are in urgent need of further donations.

Please donate now and join us in supporting the people of Myanmar and Thailand!