Earthquake Response Program

finished

On March 28, 2025, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, the most powerful since 1912, causing widespread destruction across Mandalay, Sagaing, and other regions. With Myanmar already in a protracted humanitarian crisis due to ongoing armed conflict and political instability, the earthquake has compounded suffering for millions. Over 3,600 people have been reported dead, 5,017 injured, and 160 still missing, and critical infrastructure such as airports, roads, bridges, and religious and historical sites has suffered heavy damage.

Immediate humanitarian needs include food, water, medical supplies, safe shelter, and protection services, particularly for women, children, and displaced populations.

In response to this complex emergency, Caritas Switzerland (CACH), in partnership with Karuna Mission Social Solidarity (KMSS), proposes a rapid emergency intervention focused on life-saving aid, water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), multi-purpose cash assistance (MPCA), and protection services, with special attention to gender-sensitive and child-friendly approaches.

To provide immediate humanitarian assistance to populations affected by the March 2025 earthquake in central Myanmar through MPCA, WASH, shelter/NFI distribution, and protection services. Specific objectives include distributing MPCA to 2,000 households (8,400 people), setting up water storage and sanitation infrastructure, establishing Child-Friendly Spaces, and offering targeted support to women and girls through dignity kits and gender-sensitive interventions.

The project aims to alleviate acute suffering by meeting urgent needs in hygiene, shelter, food, and safety. 2,000 households will receive MPCA to cover essential needs, an additional 2,000 households will receive hygiene kits, 1,500 women and girls will benefit from dignity kits, over 5,400 people will gain access to latrines, and 2,000 households will gain access to clean water and emergency latrines. Six Child-Friendly Spaces will provide psychosocial support and protection for children.

In short, the activities will include:

• MPCA distribution
• Distribution of hygiene kits
• Distribution of dignity kits
• Temporary latrine construction
• Temporary water storage tank
• Distribution of water containers
• Provision of cash assistance for fuel for protection services
• Safety and security measures
• Child-Friendly Space (CFS) intervention