Rainy season makes life more difficult for people who are vulnerable

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries continue to respond after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Mandalay, Myanmar*, on March 28. The earthquake caused more than 3,600 deaths and injured more than 400,000 people. There was severe damage in many towns and villages in the Mandalay and Sagaing regions. Buildings collapsed, roads were damaged and families were forced to flee their homes.

A Salesian explained, “Many families are still sleeping in the open, under plastic sheeting or makeshift tents. The rainy season has begun, making life even more difficult. The ground is muddy and the shelters are wet and unsafe. The drinking water is dirty and there are not enough toilets or clean places to cook. These conditions cause illness, especially for children and the elderly.”

He continued, “People are tired and frightened. Many are still in shock from the earthquake. Children can no longer go to school because many schools have been damaged or destroyed. Teachers have no teaching materials and students have lost their books. Parents do not know how to give their children a better future. Hospitals and clinics are already scarce in these areas, and are now overcrowded or inefficient. People with chronic injuries suffer in silence.”

Local volunteers, religious groups and aid workers are doing their best to help, and are sharing food, water, clothes and medicine. They have built temporary shelters and visit the sick. Many areas, however, are still difficult to reach because of the conflict in the country and road conditions.

“We ask all our supporters to stand by the most vulnerable people,” Father Don Bosco Nyi Nyi, superior of the Salesian Vice-Province of Myanmar, wrote in a letter. “Even a small gesture of kindness can bring light to a family living in darkness. Together we can bring hope, healing and new life to the people of Mandalay and Sagaing.”

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Sources:

Photo courtesy of Missioni Don Bosco

ANS – Myanmar – Courage amid the rubble

Salesians of Don Bosco – Myanmar

Salesian Missions – Myanmar

*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.