Aid trickles into Myanmar after Military Government ceasefire announcement

Much needed humanitarian support has started trickling into Myanmar after the Military government announced a temporary 20 day ceasefire on Tuesday.

In its nightly news bulletin, MRTV said “To show sympathy to the victims of the earthquake across the country, to provide the effective rescue operation and rehabilitation, with regards to the stability, the period between the 2nd and 22nd of April, is declared a temporary ceasefire by the military.”

The military government however warned rebel groups it would respond to any attacks, acts of sabotage or anything that would undermine peace in the country.

The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) has started distributing aid to the victims of the earthquake which shook Myanmar on Friday killing more than 2800 people and about 22 more in neighbouring Thailand. 

The 7.7 magnitude quake, one of the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, jolted a region that is home to 28 million people, toppling buildings, flattening communities and leaving many without food, water and shelter.

As rescue operations continued in the cities of Mandalay and Sagaing, people who had been displaced by the quake received food from WFP workers. Residents of both cities said they have received no help from the military.

Myanmar’s ostracized leader Min Aung Hlaing is set to leave his disaster stricken country for a regional summit on Thursday. 

The meeting set to be held in Bangkok, Thailand will consist of mostly South Asian countries including Thailand, India and Bangladesh.

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