Myanmar Earthquake: Mobilizing a Response

Washington, DC (28 March 2025) – A deadly 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar this morning, with early reports pointing to catastrophic damage and a significant loss of life. Project HOPE, the global health and humanitarian organization, is preparing to deploy an emergency response team to assist with health and humanitarian needs and has a search and rescue and emergency medical team – through longtime partners at SAMU – on standby, if specifically requested by the government.  

Myanmar is reporting that 144 people have been killed and 732 injured, but death tolls are expected to rise significantly. The earthquake struck near the city of Sagaing and a state of emergency has since been declared in six states across the country, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Bago, Easter Shan, Mayway, and Naypyidaw. It is the biggest earthquake to hit Myanmar since 1946 and while information is slowly emerging from Myanmar, electricity and network lines are down, further challenging rescue efforts. 

Myanmar has been experiencing violent conflict since the 2021 military coup with clashes between the military and militia groups who control swaths of the country. Prior to the earthquake, nearly 20 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance and over three million people were internally displaced. 

Modeling by the United States Geological Survey estimates that the death toll is likely to surpass 1,000 and could be much higher. The agency, which tracks seismic activity around the world, noted that many people in the stricken region live in homes vulnerable to earthquakes, and warned that the quake had an accompanying threat of landslides. 

“This is a historic earthquake in a country that has long had a history of adversity – where millions were already displaced and tens of millions were already in need of humanitarian aid – making the consequences of this disaster even more catastrophic,” said Arlan Fuller, Project HOPE’s Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response. “Project HOPE was built for these moments, and we are working to get a team on the ground as soon as possible to begin to assess the greatest health and humanitarian needs for impacted communities.” 

Project HOPE has extensive experience working across Asia and responding to earthquakes around the globe, including in Morocco, Türkiye, Syria, Indonesia and Haiti. In any response, Project HOPE aims to address both urgent and long-term needs, including primary and mental health, shelter, and water, sanitation, and hygiene.  

Interviews with emergency response experts are available upon request. For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact: media@ProjectHOPE.org.