Earthquake in Myanmar: MSF Teams on the Ground and Ready to Respond

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical and humanitarian staff in Myanmar and neighboring countries are ready to respond at scale to the urgent needs of affected communities, once authorities facilitate swift and unhindered access for teams to do assessments and provide medical care.

To enable an effective response, swift access to affected areas and timely approval of essential supplies and personnel are critical.

Given the scale and intensity of the earthquake, the impact on people could be devastating, particularly for those who require immediate lifesaving assistance due to trauma injuries. MSF is also concerned about those who will be vulnerable as a result of loss of shelter, loss of access to general healthcare, as well as loss of access to safe drinking water which is crucial to control the possible spread of waterborne diseases.

The ability to deploy assessment teams—and ideally, surgical teams—is crucial in the first hours and days after an earthquake to deliver life-saving surgical care for the injured.

MSF teams already present in Myanmar and Thailand prior to the earthquake are safe following the 7.7 magnitude quake near Mandalay.

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