Myanmar's post-earthquake recovery requires sustained support, says ICRC official

YANGON -- As the response to Myanmar's 7.9-magnitude earthquake transitions from emergency relief to long-term recovery, there is an urgent need for sustained support in rebuilding housing infrastructures, restoring water and electricity, and enabling economic recovery, Yasmine Praz Dessimoz, director of Operations of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said.

Beyond emergency response, recovery efforts have to be sustained in the long run, for local people to resume a normal life, she told Xinhua in an interview.

Stark challenges persist as earthquake-affected areas face crises like loss of livelihoods, damaged infrastructure and psychological trauma, and the monsoon season threatens makeshift shelters, she said.

The ICRC official said that the organization plans to expand livelihood programs and collaborate with local authorities and international partners, focusing on restoring local livelihood, water and food supply, and the health sector.

The ICRC will work closely with the Myanmar Red Cross Society and partners in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including the Red Cross Society of China, in deploying the best personnel and expertise to address both immediate and systemic vulnerabilities of earthquake-affected regions, she said.

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake, which jolted Myanmar on March 28, has claimed 3,726 lives and left 5,105 people injured, with 129 others remaining unaccounted for as of April 18, according to Myanmar's State Administration Council Information Team on April 19.