After the Quake: Mandalay’s Fight for Aid Amid War and Weather

Standing amid the rubble in Mandalay, 21-year-old medical student May Min Thone, a U-Reporter for UNICEF, issued an emotional appeal to the international community. “There is no electricity, no clean water supply, and very poor connectivity,” she said. “We’ve been struggling to contact our families and friends since the day the earthquake struck.”

Thone, who is volunteering at Mandalay General Hospital, the largest in the region, spoke about the growing desperation around her. “We just lost our classmate. A powerful collapse struck during the quake and killed her,” she said. “Although I have suffered myself, I’m trying my best to support my local community.”