A Partner in Crisis, Better Burma Drives Earthquake Relief Efforts

Mizzima

In the aftermath of the devastating, 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, killing over thousands of people and displacing millions, civil society groups have mobilized in response. In catastrophes such as this, the overwhelming need for immediate relief efforts is obviously front and center, but there is an equally important, but often under-supported need: longer-term community resilience beyond the initial period of recovery.  The non-profit organization Better Burma is one of the few organizations focused on addressing both of these challenges.

Within the first few, chaotic days following the quake, Better Burma was among the first international organizations to coordinate emergency funding directly with Burmese-led, grassroots responders on the ground. This is especially important because major donor organizations tend to work through official channels, which in Myanmar’s case means the junta, which has a history of theft and using relief aid for military purposes.