Myanmar earthquake: CARE International delivers aid as death toll climbs

“The devastating impact of Friday’s earthquake is becoming clearer by the hour – this is a crisis on top of a crisis for Myanmar, where the humanitarian situation is already dire. Rescue teams are still recovering those trapped under the rubble, and hospitals are overwhelmed. The physical and mental scars of this catastrophe will last for decades.

"CARE International is on the ground in Myanmar and has begun its emergency response alongside our dedicated partners who have been among the first responders. We have already distributed emergency health kits to several camps. Our priority is to help people meet their urgent needs; shelters, medicine and clean water are all critically needed.

"This catastrophe has brought already vulnerable communities to their knees. People traumatised by the earthquake are sleeping on the streets, with no clean water or food to eat and nowhere to escape from the heat. They simply don’t know where to turn or where to find safety. Our emergency relief teams are witnessing complete devastation everywhere we go. On top of that, we also concerned about the possibility of a cyclone in early April that could exacerbate this crisis.

"The scale of the devastation is immense. To meet this level of need will require a sustained and large-scale humanitarian effort. We call on the international community to step forward to support people in Myanmar. They cannot afford to wait.”