A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, 2025, with its epicenter located near Sagaing city, 12 miles northwest of Mandalay. The earthquake, the worst in over a century, was followed by strong aftershocks, further shaking a region already dealing with conflict and displacement.
Sagaing is home to 1.3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) – a third of all IDPs in Myanmar.
As of March 31, more than 1,700 people have been confirmed dead and thousands injured, with the full extent of the devastation still unfolding.
“The news from central Myanmar, especially Naypyitaw and Mandalay, is heartbreaking. There’s been a lot of loss of life and property. Right now, local groups and volunteers are doing most of the rescue work. We urgently need a fast, well-organized government rescue and recovery plan. The full scope of the disaster continues to unfold.”
– Colleagues from HelpAge global network partner, AGE Myanmar
Crisis Within a Crisis: Earthquake Strikes Amid Civil War
Even as communities struggle to recover from the earthquake, Myanmar’s ongoing civil war continues unabated. The military junta’s bombing campaign has left nearly 20 million people in desperate need of shelter and food, according to the United Nations (UN).
This disaster only compounds an already dire humanitarian crisis.
HelpAge Network Responds
HelpAge’s global network partner, AGE Myanmar, is on the ground, preparing to launch a response to support affected communities. Their planned efforts include providing healthcare, cash assistance, food, essential non-food items (NFIs), and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).
With electricity and communications networks down in Mandalay and Sagaing, gathering accurate information remains a challenge. The full scale of the destruction will one become clear in the coming days.
Older People Face the Highest Risks
Myanmar’s older population is growing rapidly. According to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), there are 6 million older people in the country, representing 11% of the total population. This figure is projected to rise to 13 million—or nearly 20%—by 2050.
The 2014 Census revealed that almost a quarter of Myanmar’s older population has at least one form of disability, with nearly 6% experiencing moderate to severe disabilities.
“The recent earthquake in Myanmar has resulted in an unprecedented tragedy, marking the most devastating event in the country’s earthquake history. The need for assistance is immense, as countless lives are trapped beneath the rubble, urgently requiring help.”
– AGE Myanmar colleague
Older People Are Disproportionately Affected in Earthquake Disasters
Older people are among the most vulnerable in natural disasters. They face disproportionate risks of severe health complications, injury, and mortality. The challenges they encounter include:
- Higher likelihood of death or serious injury due to mobility challenges and pre-existing health conditions
- Greater prevalence of chronic illnesses, cognitive impairments, and reliance on assistive devices or caregivers
- Increased risk of being deprioritized in rescue and relief efforts, as families and communities may be forced to make impossible choices about who to save
- Psychological distress, which has a significant impact on their mental health and well-being
- A humanitarian system that fails older people
Humanitarian responses too often overlook older people’s needs. Many relief efforts fail to collect disaggregated data on older populations, leading to their exclusion from emergency planning and aid distribution.Accurate data collection is critical to ensuring an inclusive response. Identifying where older people are located, what barriers they face in accessing assistance, and what support they need must be a priority.
Without this, older people will continue to be left behind in crisis after crisis.
Urgent Action Needed
The earthquake in Myanmar has highlighted the urgent need for a humanitarian response that prioritizes the most at-risk. Older people cannot be left to face this crisis alone. Immediate steps must be taken to ensure their safety, well-being, and inclusion in relief efforts.
Make a generous donation today to ensure that older people are not left behind in this crisis.
