Sagaing Still Suffering: Earthquake Recovery and Ongoing Attacks in Myanmar

Antonio Graceffo

Two months after the devastating March 28 earthquake, the people of Myanmar’s Sagaing Region remain caught between the destruction left by the disaster and the continued threat of junta military attacks, making recovery nearly impossible.

According to a May 23 report from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), humanitarian needs in Myanmar have reached record levels. An estimated 19.9 million people require assistance, including 2 million in urgent need and 509,400 still in critical need of food following the quake.

Entire communities in Sagaing remain in makeshift shelters or tarpaulin tents along roadsides, too afraid to return to their damaged homes. Structural instability, the threat of aftershocks, and continued military violence have made recovery nearly impossible. With the monsoon season now underway, these temporary shelters offer little protection from relentless rains and strong winds. Many families urgently need metal roofing to survive the coming floods.