Tánaiste announces €6 million in humanitarian assistance following Myanmar earthquake

The Tánaiste Simon Harris has announced a contribution of €6 million from Ireland as an immediate response to the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake which has already claimed an estimated 1,000 lives in central Myanmar.

The earthquake struck central Myanmar on Friday, 28 March, with tremors felt across the region. The epicentre was just under 17 km from Mandalay, a city of 1.2 million people. A strong 6.4 magnitude aftershock, just 12 minutes later, intensified the devastation, further damaging structures in Mandalay and Sagaing. This has complicated rescue efforts and raised fears of more casualties.

Ireland will provide €3 million to support the work of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and Myanmar Red Cross Society who are a pivotal part of the local response. This is in addition to €1.5 million to the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund managed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) who support national organisations in humanitarian action across Myanmar and €1.5 million to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) Joint Response Plan responding already to the urgent needs of displaced Rohingya people.

Early reports suggest that thousands of people are displaced and missing and that there has been extensive damage to infrastructure. The epicentre of the earthquake is in an active conflict zone with pre-existing high humanitarian need. There are concerns that these numbers will continue to grow in the coming days.

Announcing the funding, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade said:

“My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, the injured and the emergency responders. The destruction will place extraordinary pressure on many people already experiencing humanitarian need. Ireland stands in solidarity with the people of Myanmar and will provide immediate emergency humanitarian assistance. Funding from Ireland will support a locally led response and provide assistance to those most impacted by this disaster.”

Minister of State with responsibility for International Development and Diaspora Neale Richmond said:

“Ireland’s support will target people most affected by the earthquake. Emergency response teams from the Myanmar Red Cross have responded immediately to provide urgent care for people injured or looking for missing loved ones. Teams continue to assess the impact on people caught up in the earthquake. Ireland’s support will make a real and meaningful difference to people affected by this devastating disaster.”

This support is in addition to prepositioned funding of €2.4 million already provided to the IFRC by Ireland this year, which allows the Federation to respond immediately when a disaster strikes. Ireland is also the 9th largest donor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the world’s largest humanitarian fund, which has already provided €5 million to the crisis. The EU has also provided €2.5 million to the earthquake response in Myanmar.

1. Irish Aid, the government’s programme for overseas development, is an integral part of the Department of Foreign Affairs.

2. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network. Their secretariat supports local Red Cross and Red Crescent action in more than 191 countries, bringing together almost 15 million volunteers for the good of humanity.

3. In addition to supporting direct crisis responses as they arise, Ireland also provides annual core funding for the IFRC and funding for its pooled Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF). In 2023, a three year MOU was signed committing Ireland to providing a minimum of €2.4 million split evenly between core and DREF funding for the 2023-2025 period.

4. The Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) is the quickest, most efficient and most transparent way of getting funding directly to local humanitarian actors—both before and immediately after a crisis hits. The DREF is a central pot of money through which we can release funds rapidly to Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies for early action and immediate disaster response.

5. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is Ireland’s largest Humanitarian partner. Ireland has been a consistent supporter of the OCHA Myanmar Humanitarian Fund. The Fund provides critical financing to a wide range of local actors. Ireland also provides annual prepositioned funding of €15 million to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) administered by OCHA which can release funding at speed to respond to emergencies. CERF released €5 million to respond to the earthquake in Myanmar on the 28th.