The smell of decaying bodies permeated the streets of Myanmar's second-largest city on Sunday as people worked frantically by hand to clear rubble in the hope of finding someone still alive, two days after a massive earthquake struck that killed more than 1,600 people and left countless others buried. The 7.7 magnitude quake hit midday Friday with an epicenter near Mandalay, bringing down scores of buildings and damaging other infrastructure like the city’s airport. Relief efforts have been hampered by buckled roads, downed bridges, spotty communications and the challenges of operating in a country in the midst of a civil war. The search for survivors has been primarily conducted by the local residents without the aid of heavy equipment, moving rubble by hand and with shovels in 41-degree Celsius (106 Fahrenheit) heat, with only the occasional tracked excavator to be seen. A 5.1 magnitude aftershock Sunday afternoon prompted screams from those in the streets, and then the work continued. Many of Mandalay's 1.5 million people spent the night sleeping on the streets, either left homeless by the quake, which also shook neighboring Thailand and killed at least 18 people there, or worried that the continuing aftershocks might cause structures left unstable to collapse. Many areas still have not been reached So far 1,644 people have been reported killed in Myanmar and 3,408 injured, but many areas have not yet been reached, and many rescue efforts so far have been undertaken by people working by hand to try and clear rubble, said Cara Bragg, the Yangon-based manager of Catholic Relief Services in Myanmar. “It's mainly been local volunteers, local people who are just trying to find their loved ones,” Bragg said after bring briefed by her colleague in Mandalay. Bangladesh hands over first consignment of humanitarian relief to Myanmar “I've also seen reports that now some countries are sending search and rescue teams up to Mandalay to support the efforts, but hospitals are really struggling to cope with the influx of injured people, there's a shortage of medical supplies, and people are struggling to find food and clean water,” Bragg added. The organization was sending a team by road on Sunday to assess peoples' most pressing needs so that it could target its own response. With the Mandalay airport damaged and the control tower toppled in the capital Naypitaw's airport, all commercial flights into the cities have been shut down. Official relief efforts in Naypitaw were prioritizing government offices and staff housing, leaving locals and aid groups to dig through the rubble by hand in residential areas, the hot sun beating down and the smell of death in the air. A team sent from neighboring China rescued an older man who had been trapped for nearly 40 hours beneath the rubble of a Naypitaw hospital, and many others are believed to still be buried under, the official Xinhua news agency reported. Myanmar sits on the Sagaing Fault, a major north-south fault that separates the India plate and the Sunda plate. The earthquake occurred when a 200-kilometer (125-mile) section of the fault ruptured, causing widespread damage along a wide swath of territory down the middle of the country, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway and Bago regions and Shan State. With widespread telecommunication outages, few details have come out so far from areas other than the main urban areas of Mandalay and Naypitaw. Foreign aid starts to arrive in Myanmar Still, two Indian C-17 military transport aircraft were able to land late Saturday at Naypitaw with a field hospital unit and some 120 personnel who were then to travel north to Mandalay to establish a 60-bed emergency treatment center, according to the country's Foreign Ministry. Other Indian supplies were flown into Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city, which has been the hub of other foreign relief efforts. On Sunday, a convoy of 17 Chinese cargo trucks carrying critical shelter and medical supplies was expected to reach Mandalay, after making the arduous journey by road from Yangon. The 650-kilometer (400-mile) journey has been taking 14 hours or longer, with clogged roads and traffic diverted from the main highway to skirt damage from the earthquake. At the same time, the window of opportunity to find anyone alive is rapidly closing. Most rescues occur within the first 24 hours after a disaster, and then survival chances drop as each day passes. An initial report on earthquake relief efforts issued Saturday by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs noted the severe damage or destruction of many health facilities, and warned that a “severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts, including trauma kits, blood bags, anesthetics, assistive devices, essential medicines, and tents for health workers.” China said it has sent more than 135 rescue personnel and experts along with supplies like medical kits and generators and pledged around $13.8 million in emergency aid. Russia’s Emergencies Ministry said it had flown in 120 rescuers and supplies to Yangon, and the country’s Health Ministry said Moscow had sent a medical team to Myanmar. Bangladesh rescue team to fly to earthquake-hit Myanmar Sunday: ISPR Teams from Singapore have been working already in Naypitaw. Malaysia dispatched a team of 50 personnel on Sunday with trucks, search and rescue equipment and medical supplies. Thailand said 55 of its soldiers arrived in Yangon on Sunday to help with search and rescue operations, while Britain announced a $13 million aid package to help its locally-funded partners already in Myanmar respond to the crisis. 18 people reported dead in Thailand In neighboring Thailand, the quake rocked much of the country, bringing down a high-rise building under construction in Bangkok, some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) away from the epicenter. So far, 11 people have been found dead at the construction site near the popular Chatuchak market. A total of 18 people have been reported killed by the quake in Thailand so far. Rescue efforts in Myanmar complicated by civil war In Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, rescue efforts so far are focused on Mandalay and Naypyitaw, which are thought to have been the hardest hit, but many other areas were also impacted and little is known so far about the damage there. “We're hearing reports of hundreds of people trapped in different areas,” said Bragg. “Right now we're at 1,600 (known fatalities) and we don't have a lot of data coming out but you've got to assume it will be increasing in the thousands based on what the impacts are. This is just anecdotal information at this point.” Beyond the earthquake damage, rescue efforts are complicated by the bloody civil war roiling much of the country, including in quake-affected areas. In 2021, the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking what has since turned into significant armed resistance. Government forces have lost control of much of Myanmar, and many places are dangerous or impossible for aid groups to reach. More than 3 million people have been displaced by the fighting and nearly 20 million are in need, according to the United Nations. The government military has been fighting long-established militias and newly formed pro-democracy People's Defense Forces, and has heavily restricted much-needed aid efforts to the large population already displaced by war even before the earthquake. Military attacks continued with airstrikes on Friday and reports of mortar and drone attacks on Saturday. Tarique expresses deep sorrow over loss of lives in Myanmar, Thailand earthquake  Tom Andrews, a monitor on rights in Myanmar commissioned by the U.N.-backed Human Rights Council, called for the military to immediately call a ceasefire. “Aid workers should not have to fear arrest and there should be no obstructions to aid getting to where it is most needed,” he said on X. “Every minute counts.”

A significant number of people who sought refuge in shelters due to the devastating floods and landslides triggered by heavy rainfall in Bandarban have now returned to their homes, District Commissioner Shah Mujahid Uddin has said. During a press briefing held on Friday (August 11, 2023) afternoon, he outlined the overall situation in the district, elaborating on the extent of the destruction caused by the recent torrential rains and floods. The calamity has left a trail of destruction, displacing families and causing substantial damage to infrastructure. Read more Flood situation improves in Bandarban Currently, around 340 individuals remain in various shelters across the district as they grapple with the aftermath of the disaster. The impact has been dire, with 15,800 families stranded by flooding, and a staggering 15,600 houses being severely damaged, he said.  Quoting the Agriculture Department, the District Commissioner said that the agricultural sector has been hit hard, with 8,253 hectares of cropland succumbing to the deluge.  He also reported 10 deaths resulting from the flood and landslides.  Read more Woman, daughter among 3 killed in Bandarban landslides Furthermore, road connections to Thanchi and Ruma upazilas remain severed due to the relentless downpour. The Department of Public Health Engineering has taken steps for rehabilitation by setting up two mobile water purification units, he said. Already, 2 lakh litres of water have been distributed through this initiative. The Bangladesh Army has also joined the relief efforts, distributing an additional 53,800 litres of drinking water,  he said.  Additionally, 850 families have received essential dry food provisions, while 962 individuals have been given vital medical care and medications.  Read more Army deployed to tackle flood, landslides in Ctg, Bandarban

The Bangladesh Red Crescent Society has adopted a plan of Tk54 crore to carry out relief operations in the flood-hit Sylhet region. It requested the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and all Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners for that support. Among the relief activities, food and livelihood support, water and sanitation and shelter repair assistance are some key areas. Md Nur-Ur-Rahman, acting chairman of Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, said: "At the moment, relief items are being provided in the flood shelters. Bangladesh Red Crescent Society is also working to provide cash assistance to the families most affected by the floods." Also read:UK allocates over Tk 5 crore to support Bangladesh’s flood victims More than 500 volunteers of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society are working to help the flood-hit people in the Sylhet region. Teams of the Bangladesh Red Crescent are helping to evacuate flood-hit people to safe shelters and distribute dry and cooked food and clean drinking water in Sylhet, Sunamganj, Netrokona and other affected districts. The Society, with the support of the IFRC, already distributed 75,000 litres of safe drinking water. In addition, dry food to more than 6,000 people, 1,665 jerrycans and 1,000 hygiene parcels were distributed. Free primary medical care services were provided to flood victims through four medical camps. To help the flood victims, 15,000 water purification tablets, 7,200 packets of dry food, 1,200 jerrycans, 1,000 dignity kits, 500 hygiene parcels and 50 life jackets were sent. A safe drinking water supply was started in Sylhet and Sunamganj through three mobile water purification units, allowing the Red Crescent to distribute 20,000 litres of drinking water each day.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) has pledged US$ 1 million from its emergency fund to the relief efforts after the Rohingya camps fire and it said further US$ 20 million is required to respond to the most urgent needs.   The massive fire swept through three IOM-managed sites Monday displacing roughly 45,000 Rohingya refugees and causing catastrophic damage in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, the world’s largest refugee camp.  Also read:Dhaka seeks proactive global support to end Rohingya crisis More than 10,000 shelters were damaged in the fire and the largest health centre in the camp was destroyed.   The loss of the 24/7 health centre, which served more than 55,000 people in the last year, now further complicates the challenge of responding to COVID-19, IOM said.  The fire that raged through the camps only slowed once it reached the main roads, slopes, canals and rice fields.  It has since subsided, but not before consuming essential facilities, shelters and the personal belongings of tens of thousands of people.   Also read:IOM, UK EMT continue Covid health support for Rohingyas The cause of the fire is still unknown. According to humanitarian agencies and local authorities, 11 people have lost their lives, more than 500 people have been injured and roughly 400 are still missing.  “This disaster is a terrible setback that exacerbates the humanitarian needs of refugees in Cox’s Bazar,” said IOM’s Director General António Vitorino.  "We will need to start from zero to rebuild. Our hearts are with all those affected.  We are committed to helping them build back safer with the support of the government of Bangladesh, our donors, partners and humanitarian actors.”  In the immediate aftermath, government response services, including the fire brigade, the army and humanitarian agencies rushed to the area to put out the fire. 

In response to the devastation caused by torrential rain and monsoon floods in Bangladesh, Huawei Technologies (Bangladesh) Ltd has come forward to a public assistance appeal and aided relief supplies in flood-ravaged areas of Natore’s Singra upazila.