Yangon: Several groups with interests in Myanmar told CNA on Saturday that the country is in dire need of help in the wake of a massive earthquake that has resulted in at least 1,000 deaths.
According to Focus Taiwan, Lee Chin-lan, a volunteer with the Myanmar branch of Taiwanese charity organization Tzu Chi Foundation, reported serious damage in the cities of Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyidaw. The destruction includes collapsed buildings and communication disruptions. Volunteers in Mandalay informed Lee, who is currently in Taiwan, that many people remain trapped in the rubble of collapsed structures, and rescuers are attempting to free them using their bare hands.
Lee highlighted that Myanmar is now entering summer, with temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius, creating an urgent need for drinking water, along with medicines, food, and blankets. She also noted that local relief efforts in Myanmar are generally managed by the military junta, posing a challenge for local volunteers who are assessing how to provide necessary and timely aid to disaster victims.
There are several hundred Tzu Chi volunteers based in Yangon, currently strategizing on how to reach the disaster-affected areas, as two main roads to Mandalay have been severed. Meanwhile, Jen Tzu-wei, the secretary-general of the Myanmar Overseas Chinese Association, mentioned that the association is soliciting help from ethnic Chinese communities from Myanmar residing in Taiwan.
Hu Wei-hsin, chairperson of the Republic of China and Myanmar Economic and Cultural Exchange Association, communicated with Wen Ssu-lang, the former chair of the Myanmar Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce. Wen assured that Taiwanese businessmen in Yangon are unharmed and stated that the organization will monitor the situation and provide assistance as needed.