Hear Us! We Are Struggling": How Life Has Changed in Myanmar After the Earthquake

On March 28, 2025, Myanmar was struck by a devastating earthquake. Its magnitude reached 7.7 on the Richter scale, making it the most powerful quake in the past 80 years. Four regions of the country suffered the most extensive damage.

According to San San Aye, director of Myanmar’s Ministry of Education, over 1,800 educational buildings have been destroyed as a result of the tremors. Notably, Myanmar commemorates Knowledge Day on June 1, a date by which everything should have been prepared. However, on March 28, at 12:50 PM, the first tremor struck, followed by a second just twelve minutes later, with a magnitude of 6.4.

The earthquake has also caused widespread unemployment. "Our hotel had been in operation for 17 years. It was my home. The lobby, reception, all administrative offices, the religious space — everything was destroyed. Nearby was our restaurant, which is no longer there. We run a chain of hotels, so we sent all staff to other cities to prevent job losses. I can say that I have lost the meaning of life," lamented hotel manager Tin Ko Latt.

Mandalay, the second-largest city in the country, lies close to the earthquake’s epicenter. The hardest-hit area was the suburb of Amarapura, where even months later, residents are still struggling to recover from the devastation. There, adults and children live literally on the ground. For example, in one large family, the oldest child is 23, and the youngest is just six. Parents work tirelessly at weaving looms scattered across their land, trying to sustain their household.

Khin Ma Yi, a resident of Amarapura, shares:

"Every day, volunteers come to help us. We live on donations, standing in queues, hoping they will last. The entire country is in ruins; everyone has suffered. It’s especially heartbreaking to see the state of our sacred sites, our pagodas."

A pagoda, meaning "sacred" in Burmese, is akin to a temple. Such religious centers are ubiquitous throughout Myanmar. For many, building a new monastery or pagoda is considered the best investment — even if one lives modestly, the funds are still dedicated to the sacred.

In total, more than 3,700 people lost their lives in the Myanmar earthquake. The number of homes, structures, and buildings flattened remains unknown, as many did not collapse immediately—some only developed cracks, and the tremors continue. For those left homeless, there are two options.

The first, as already mentioned, involves living directly on the ground, adjacent to their former homes. The second is settling in temporary shelters, which were established the day after the quake in certain regions. In these camps, people wear masks for safety, living in tents for months on end. About 5,000 families are crammed into temporary shelters, gathered on a rural football field. The disaster also claimed every tenth neighbor, and many residents are injured.

The first measure taken at these camps was installing loudspeakers—if another quake occurs, they can warn each other. Yet, what’s the point of warning when seconds matter in such natural disasters? Hygiene conditions are also dire.

"The city has lost its transportation, logistics, businesses. The system is broken. In the villages, we all depend on agriculture — we had many cows and ducks, but they perished. The few remaining animals have been sold off just to survive. We are farmers, relying on meat sales for income. Now, people have no money," shared Nyo Nyo San, a resident of Amarapura.

Another resident, Ni Ni Win, reports that while not all homes have been destroyed, every family awaits permission from the authorities to return to their residences. People are waiting for official inspections of walls, ceilings, and foundations to ensure safety. Those who need to rebuild may spend from one to three years on reconstruction. In some villages, underground tremors have disrupted water supply, leaving residents without adequate access to clean water.

"World, hear us! We are struggling!" the people of Myanmar implore for aid.

One cannot help but wonder: where do the Myanmar people find the strength to carry on after such upheavals?