Myanmar’s Crisis Within A Crisis: What Made Myanmar’s Quake So Devastating

When a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar in March 2025, the ground shook for less than a minute. But the impact of that minute will be felt for years.

Entire villages collapsed. Cities like Mandalay were thrown into chaos. Over 3,000 people are now confirmed to have died with the number still rising, thousands more injured and missing. International rescue teams rushed in. Survivors dug through rubble with their bare hands. The images were heartbreaking.

However,this earthquake didn’t hit a healthy, stable country. It hit a nation already on its knees. In many ways, Myanmar was one of the worst places for such a massive natural disaster to strike, not just because of geography or infrastructure, but because of politics, conflict, and a long-running humanitarian crisis. 

Let’s take a closer look at why this tragedy was so uniquely devastating, what happened in the days after the quake, and what the future might hold.

Myanmar Before the Quake

To understand why the earthquake was so damaging, we have to look at the situation before it struck.

Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has been in a state of chaos. The army, known as the junta, overthrew the elected government and took control of the country. That sparked widespread protests and, eventually, civil war. People across the country formed resistance forces, and many areas, especially in central Myanmar, turned into battlegrounds between the military and anti-junta fighters.

By early 2025, more than 3 million people had already been forced to flee their homes because of fighting. Many were living in forests, camps, or temporary shelters. Hospitals were barely functioning. Doctors had been jailed or forced into hiding for speaking out against the regime. Medicine was scarce. Clean water and electricity were unreliable, especially in rural areas.

At the same time, nearly half of Myanmar’s 55 million people needed some form of humanitarian help. Some needed food, some healthcare, some shelter, or all three. The military however was blocking aid from reaching many communities, especially those that supported the resistance. Aid trucks were stopped, supplies were seized, and UN agencies were often denied access.

To make matters worse, the military regularly shut down the internet and phone networks, especially in the very regions the earthquake later struck. That made it hard for people to communicate or get early warnings.

So when the earthquake hit, Myanmar was already a country living on the edge. Hungry, weak, and without the systems needed to respond quickly to disaster.

Myanmar After the Quake

The quake struck central Myanmar on March 28th, hitting the Sagaing and Mandalay regions the hardest. Entire buildings crumbled. Historic temples fell to the ground. Roads cracked open. In rural areas, people were trapped under collapsed homes with no tools or help in sight.

In the first few hours there was chaos. Phone and internet service were down. Power was out. Nobody knew the scale of the disaster. Rescue teams struggled to reach villages. Families used shovels and sticks to try to rescue loved ones buried in rubble.

The military quickly declared a state of emergency. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing went on television to announce the disaster and promised the government was doing all it could. They even said they welcomed international aid which was a rare step for a regime known for isolation. Countries like China, India, and Malaysia sent in rescue teams, field hospitals, and supplies.

But while this may have looked like cooperation on the surface, the truth was more complicated.

Just days after the quake, the military launched airstrikes in other parts of the country. Fighting continued in conflict zones, even as survivors in quake-hit areas begged for help. Some rebel groups announced temporary ceasefires to allow aid in but the military didn’t always respond in the same way.

There were also widespread reports that soldiers were blocking or confiscating aid. Doctors in Mandalay said relief supplies were being taken by the army before reaching hospitals. Volunteers trying to deliver food and medicine were stopped at checkpoints. In many places, soldiers demanded paperwork or bribes or simply took what they wanted.

Reports say that in areas where the resistance is particularly strong, aid was often completely blocked. The military didn’t want help going to “enemy” villages, even if they were full of injured civilians. People trying to smuggle in supplies had to take long, dangerous backroads, losing precious time.

And there was another problem: information blackouts. The junta wouldn’t let foreign journalists into the worst-hit zones. Internet and phone lines remained down. It was almost impossible for the outside world or even nearby towns to understand how bad things were.

So while government-run TV showed soldiers handing out rice and blankets, the reality on the ground was much bleaker. 

What Happens Now?

It’s clear that Myanmar’s military will continue to try to control the disaster response not necessarily to help people, but to protect its grip on power.

This isn’t new. After Cyclone Nargis in 2008 which killed over 130,000 people a previous military regime also blocked foreign aid to Myanmar, they delayed rescues, and carried out propaganda stunts while people died in flooded villages. Back then, they even forced through a constitutional referendum just days after the storm.

Many observers fear we’re seeing a repeat. The generals want to appear in charge. They want to show the world and their own people that they can handle the crisis. But they don’t want foreign groups, journalists, or even local volunteers working freely, especially in areas where resistance is strong.

In fact, the regime may use the disaster as a political opportunity. General Min Aung Hlaing just attended the BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand, his first overseas appearance in years where he was joined by 6 other heads of state. Some experts believe he’s trying to use the earthquake to build international legitimacy, especially with countries like China and India that are already helping with aid.

However, for everyday people in Myanmar, that won’t change much. What they need is food, clean water, shelter, medical care, and safety.

The UN and aid agencies are calling for full access to quake-hit areas. But unless the military loosens its grip, it’s likely that many survivors, especially in rebel-held zones, will be left to suffer alone.

There’s another warning sign too. A similar situation played out in Syria in 2023, when an earthquake struck both government- and rebel-held areas. The Assad regime blocked aid to opposition zones and used the disaster to push for sanctions relief and diplomatic gains. The result? A delayed and deeply unequal response.  A situation which some would say is currently repeating itself in Myanmar.

Myanmar’s earthquake in March 2025 was a natural disaster. However, the scale of the suffering can be seen as mainly the result of man-made decisions, years of military rule, war, repression, and a broken system.

ALSO READ: PM Modi’s Thailand Visit Strengthens Cultural Ties With Symbolic Gifts At BIMSTEC Summit