Myanmar earthquake: blankets, food and child-friendly spaces

When the earthquake struck, Tearfund's local partner stepped up to respond to the urgent needs of the community.

Written by Tarryn Pegna | 23 May 2025

A giant crack runs down the front of a grey church building against a clear blue sky.

A church building damaged by the earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March this year. Almost two months on from the earthquake that destroyed or damaged more than 55,000 homes, many people are still living outside and in need of clean water, food and healthcare. Credit: Tearfund

The earthquake in Myanmar damaged Tun’s* two-storey house, he tells us, and now he is anxious to repair it for protection from the heat and rains which have started to fall early this year. But, he goes on to say, that wasn’t his biggest loss. Tun’s mother, sister and grandmother were caught under the rubble that fell. Only his sister survived. She’s 16. Her legs will need treatment for some months to come because of injuries from being trapped.

At the moment, Tun and his sister have been given a place to stay and Tearfund’s local partner has provided things like food and blankets, but the ongoing pain of their losses is raw as they contemplate rebuilding their home and their lives.

‘‘We felt the chairs shaking and saw the ceiling cracking and falling. A few students were injured by falling debris, suffering wounds to their heads and hands, and some were bleeding heavily.’

Sunday school teacher, Myanmar

Fleeing violence, surviving an earthquake

For some families, this earthquake isn't the first time they've lost their homes. Many had come to the area fleeing violence in other parts of the country, and our local partner was already providing shelter, food and water for people seeking safety.

Then, when the earthquake happened, the church stepped up to respond to the community's sudden, urgent needs.

One seven-year-old girl living in the church compound tells us, ‘I'm in grade two. My family moved here [from another part of Myanmar] before the earthquake. When the earthquake struck, I was having a ukulele lesson, and I saw the roof and walls collapse. We had to run outside.

‘Now, every night, we sleep outdoors. With the monsoons coming and the school roof damaged, I'm not sure if it will reopen. I worry about my mum and the other mothers. I'm afraid another earthquake might happen.'

The partner, supported by Tearfund, is helping children like her to find some peace and joy in the midst of such distressing circumstances. By establishing child-friendly spaces, our partner is providing a safe environment for children to process the trauma they have experienced through the medium of play.

One Sunday school teacher tells us how she was with more than 100 children from various churches on the day of the earthquake.

‘I was at the last day of a summer Bible camp,' she says. ‘We felt the chairs shaking and saw the ceiling cracking and falling. A few students were injured by falling debris, suffering wounds to their heads and hands, and some were bleeding heavily.

‘We needed to inform their parents and get them to the hospital, but because of the earthquake, the phone lines were down and we couldn't contact the families or even hire a car for transportation, as no one dared to drive. So we had to remain overnight at the host church. The children and I were traumatised; they couldn't sleep well and woke up frequently. We had to stay outside all night.

‘My biggest worry was communication and the rumours about the earthquake since our area lacked internet access. People were getting information from old videos and news with incorrect dates. Many were traumatised and couldn't stay inside their houses, especially since some buildings, including the church, were affected. The children who were at the camp were shocked to see their friends injured.'

With the emotional toll of living through such a disaster and destroyed or damaged homes and schools delaying a return to any sense of normality, the child-friendly spaces are a hugely important provision for young people who have been affected.

A wooden house on stilts lists to one side after being damaged by the 28 March earthquake in Myanmar. It is surrounded by green vegetation.

A damaged house in the central part of Myanmar. The earthquake on 28 March caused 3,791 deaths and left more than 5,000 people injured. The estimated economic losses exceed £1.4 billion. Credit: Tearfund

Cash, medical assistance and vital nutrition

Alongside the child-friendly spaces, Tearfund has been supporting our local partners to provide families with vital, multi-purpose cash assistance, allowing them to meet their immediate needs.

Mobile clinics, run by our local partners, are also delivering essential medical care and helping ensure that infants and pregnant mothers get the nutritional input that they need.

‘Eager to learn’

But, after the protective school closures forced by the pandemic, and then further closures across much of Myanmar at various stages since then because of the armed conflict, many young people are concerned not only about food, but about getting the educational input that they need to give them the opportunities they need for the future. More than 2,500 schools were damaged or destroyed by the earthquake, affecting tens of thousands of learners.

‘I'm preparing to attend grade seven,’ a 15-year-old at the church compound tells us. ‘When the earthquake struck, I was at home. I started to worry and hid under the table. The second time it hit, I was in the church compound, worried about my family members still in the house. I prayed for their safety and, thankfully, we were all safe.

‘My house is slightly tilted to one side, and the back wall has been pushed out. I want to repair my house because the monsoon season is coming and we need a place to stay. I'm also concerned about my education; I've heard that our school might not reopen, and there's uncertainty since my school building was damaged. I'm very eager to learn, so I am joining online classes. Right now, my main worries are repairing my house and continuing my studies, and I pray to God for help.’

Please will you join us in praying for all those affected, especially children and young people. If you’d like to give, you can do so here.

*Name has been changed for protection.

Pray for Myanmar

Pray for all those who have lost loved ones and homes because of the earthquake. Ask God for comfort and provision for them.
Lift up all those who are feeling afraid, particularly the children. Many people are now living in makeshift shelters and in fear that another earthquake will cause further destruction.
Pray for children to be able to return to school and to some state of normality. Ask God for healing from trauma and pray that they would not be robbed of opportunities for their future by the damage caused by the earthquake.