GENEVA (SWITZERLAND) (ITALPRESS) – As aftershocks continue to hit central Myanmar following the March 28 earthquake, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sent emergency supplies from Yangon to some 25,000 survivors in the Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw areas. “We are mobilizing more basic necessities from our existing stocks in Myanmar, and we hope that these plastic sheeting, sleeping mats, blankets, kitchen sets and mosquito nets will provide some relief in these dramatic moments,” Unhcr spokesman Babar Baloch said today during a press briefing at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.
“Our teams are currently identifying critical needs in the most affected areas of Mandalay, Magway and Sagaing regions as part of a rapid needs assessment among humanitarian agencies. The most urgent need is to distribute shelters and relief goods in the affected areas. It is also essential to monitor risks related to explosive devices, family separation, child protection and gender-based violence,” he continued.
UNHCR is in direct contact with affected communities on security issues and the provision of emergency aid. According to UNHCR, the earthquake and its aftershocks exacerbate an already desperate situation in a country suffering the effects of four years of conflict. Earthquake-affected areas are home to 45 percent of Myanmar’s 3.5 million internally displaced people. “UNHCR continues to call for unhindered humanitarian access to help these communities in need of urgent assistance,” the spokesperson reiterated.
– UNHCR photo –
(ITALPRESS).
