The stories coming out of Myanmar and Thailand are nothing short of heart-wrenching. A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the two nations last Friday, leaving more than 2,000 people dead and thousands more injured or missing.
Among the tragic accounts: a monastery crushed with 200 Buddhist monks inside; a preschool flattened with 50 children and their teachers trapped beneath the rubble. This isn’t just a natural disaster, it’s a human catastrophe layered upon years of political instability, war and suffering.
The devastation has compounded the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, as reported by the Associated Press.
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Relief efforts have been slowed by everything from destroyed roads and fuel shortages to a lack of heavy machinery. In some places, desperate locals are digging through debris with their bare hands under punishing heat.
Entire towns have been flattened. Mosques collapsed during Friday prayers, killing hundreds more. And even now, many remote areas remain unreachable, meaning the death toll will likely climb higher in the days ahead.
/**/What makes this tragedy even more painful is that Myanmar was already in crisis. Civil war had displaced over 3 million people before the quake struck. Aid organizations were struggling to provide food, medicine and shelter amid armed conflict and limited access.
Now, with over 10,000 buildings damaged or destroyed, hospitals in ruins and monsoon season around the corner, the need for immediate international support is overwhelming.
Nations like India, China, Russia and several Western countries have stepped in with aid, but the road to recovery will be long and steep. Survivors are sleeping outdoors, terrified of aftershocks and searching for loved ones buried beneath concrete.
In nearby Bangkok, the earthquake claimed lives as well, including 18 people at a collapsed construction site, with dozens still missing.
In moments like this, we’re reminded how fragile life is, and how important it is to stand in solidarity with those who are hurting.
Please take a moment to pray for the people of Myanmar. Pray for those who’ve lost loved ones, for the children and families left homeless and for the rescuers still searching through the rubble. They need hope, healing and help, and they need it now.
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James Lasher is staff writer for Charisma Media.
