When a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28 of this year, ADRA was quick to act – thanks to the strength of our network, our partnerships, and our supporters.

But while our relief work went forward, the true toll of the disaster began to reveal itself. Since our last major update, the statistics have only gotten more shocking.

The situation is as serious as ever, with 3,800 people dead, 5,100 injured, 116 people missing, 207,000 more internally displaced. There are also at least 5,223 damaged buildings, and 3.6 million hectares of cropland negatively affected. The 58 worst-affected townships have, cumulatively, about 9 million people living in them, 2.7 million of them children.

The water situation is particularly dire. Anywhere from 20 to 60% of the country’s water sources have been negatively affected. Bore holes and wells throughout the country have been damaged or contaminated. The lack of clean drinking water has quickly become a major issue.

Compounding concerns arise from the amount of cropland that has been damaged. With crop productivity significantly reduced, there is likely to be an increase in food insecurity throughout the country. This will only be exacerbated in June when the monsoon season begins – making matters worse for families and farms already reeling from loss of their fertile land.

But despite all this bad news, hope persists. The ADRA network quickly secured 957,901 USD for its relief operations and provided Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance to 1,793 families. This number is out of a total of 14,136 households who have been targeted by ADRA for assistance with the funds committed. Before the end of May, ADRA is scheduled to deliver sanitation and hygiene kits, cash for food, shelter and non-food items (such as tents, blankets). Shelter items are especially important for families who are currently living out in the open but are uncomfortable moving into a building for fear of structural instability after the quake.

With over 1700 families helped so far, there is still much to do. Multiple response areas still need to be implemented or scaled up, and the devastation from the original quake has been complicated by repeated aftershocks. Educational resources for children and teachers are deeply needed, as are dignity kits for menstrual health.

At ADRA Canada, we believe in the power of our network and our supporters. We believe that there is still hope for Myanmar – and that hope begins in our hearts and yours.