On March 28, 2025, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake shook Myanmar and Thailand. As of March 31, over 1,700 people have been reported killed due to the quake and the death toll is only expected to climb.
Rescuers have been working around the clock since March 28 to pull out people from the rubble in cities including Mandalay and Sagaing.
Myanmar has been under military junta rule since the coup état of 2021 and this, according to experts, will mean the country will take a long time to come back to any semblance of normalcy.
“The case of Myanmar is akin to an aggrieved poor man being dealt ablow by Nature,” Surya Parkash, Professor and Head, Geo-Hydro-Meteorological Risks Management Division at New Delhi’s National Institute of Disaster Management told Down To Earth.
“Common citizens of Myanmar will suffer more than those in a democracy. In the latter, the system ensures that representatives elected by the people are answerable to them. In the case of Myanmar, the military junta calls the big shots primarily and is almost dictatorial. Consequently, support for common citizens will not be similar to that in a democracy,” said Parkash.
Since 2021, a civil war has been raging the country between the junta and those opposed to it.
“Since a civil war is raging in Myanmar, conditions are not very conducive for humanitarian relief and aid. The fastest demand in a post disaster situation is that of humanitarian aid. That will be, no doubt, very difficult and challenging. But still, one would expect conscientious behaviour from all parties and people may come forward in these adverse times together to serve the affected society. However, the socio-political situation is not favourable,” noted Parkash.
He added that the adverse socio-political situation may delay appropriate timely aid. “That is for sure in such conditions.”
According to Parkash, the quake is also expected to exacerbate inequalities in the embattled Southeast Asian country.
“The socio-political situation is Myanmar is not good for its economy and development. Added to that this devastating quake. Naturally, it will take even more time for even a semblance of normalcy to return to the affected areas. The country is already bitterly divided into rival camps. This disaster may exacerbate inequality further in Myanmar if the situation is not properly dealt with,” he observed.