“Even in the Rubble, We Share”: How Myanmar’s Quake Victims Are Saving One Another Amid Rain and Repression

By Tony Tan, Founder of Gebirah

“The works of mercy are innumerable. Their source is in the heart of Jesus.”— St. Josemaría Escrivá

On March 28, 2025, Myanmar was rocked by a 7.7-magnitude earthquake—the worst in decades—claiming over 3,471 lives, injuring thousands, and leaving countless more without homes or hope. In a nation already burdened by civil war, economic collapse, and displacement, this catastrophe has pushed suffering to the extreme. Yet amid the destruction, the light of compassion shines.

From the ruins of Sagaing and Mandalay to rural roads choked with debris, it is the people themselves who have become the Good Samaritans—offering help not from abundance, but from deep solidarity rooted in suffering.

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”— Matthew 25:40

Saints in the Streets: Youth Rise Up

Among these quiet heroes is Ei Hay Mar Hlaing, a 21-year-old shopkeeper with barely enough for herself. Upon seeing the devastation in Sagaing, she rallied her friends, gathered pocket money and donations, and drove over 100km from Monywa, handing out noodles, water, and first-aid supplies from the back of a truck.

“We can’t afford much because we are youths,” she said. “We donated with what we had.”

Dressed in white helmets, she and her friends stood under the blistering sun, distributing aid while armed militiamen kept a tense watch. Their efforts, though modest in material, are abundant in grace.

“Charity is the cement which binds communities to God and persons to one another.”— St. Vincent de Paul

Crisis Upon Crisis

According to the UNDP, 80% of buildings in Sagaing were damaged, and hospitals are so unsafe that patients are being treated outside under tarpaulins. Over 5,200 buildings, including schools, clinics, and places of worship, were either destroyed or rendered unusable.

The rains have since come, turning dry suffering into wet misery. Soaked bedding, contaminated water, and extreme heat nearing 37°C (98°F) are raising fears of disease outbreaks in makeshift tent camps. One UN specialist simply described the weather as "very extreme." Aid remains desperately scarce, particularly in regions opposing the military regime, where restrictions on humanitarian access continue despite a declared ceasefire.

When the Systems Fail, the People Do Not

In Mandalay, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher called the scale of destruction "epic," with aftershocks continuing and survivors "traumatised and fearful." But where institutions are slow or absent, Myanmar’s people have stepped into the breach—not waiting for permission to do good.

Their courage reminds us that mercy is not limited to what is feasible, but what is faithful.

“Do not be afraid to offer your life for the mission. Christ does not disappoint.”— Pope St. John Paul II

Gebirah’s Mission of Mercy

At Gebirah, we follow this same call—to walk with the wounded, accompany the forgotten, and empower those already working miracles in the margins.

We are responding alongside Myanmar’s own people, not as outsiders, but as brothers and sisters in Christ. Together with our partners, we aim to:

• Deliver emergency food, water, medicine, and hygiene supplies;

• Channel resources into the hands of frontline volunteers already risking their lives.

  
  

“Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”— 1 John 3:18

We Are One Body

The wounds of Myanmar are wounds in the Body of Christ. Every mother queuing for clean water, every child sheltering from rain under plastic sheets, is Christ among us.

As Catholic humanitarians, we are called not only to relief, but to communion—to make visible the love of God in the darkest places.

The saints remind us that the deepest response to tragedy is not despair but love. A love that rolls up its sleeves, that bears burdens, that listens, that gives.

“Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.”— St. Ignatius of Loyola

Let us not look away. Let us not wait for ideal conditions. Let us act, as Ei Hay Mar Hlaing and so many others already have.

Join Us

To support our emergency response in Myanmar or partner with us in building long-term resilience in the region, contact Gebirah at tan_tony@gebirah.org. Or if you feel inclined to support our brothers and sisters in Myanmar suffering in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake with a donation, you can do so at:

https://give.asia/campaign/urgent-appeal-support-myanmar-earthquake-survivors#/updates To ensure your donation goes straight to support those who need help most, please write (GEBIRAH) next to your name when donating.

Then, forward a copy of your donation email confirmation to tan_tony@gebirah.org.

I’ll make sure this happens. Every donation—no matter how small—can bring hope, food, shelter, and comfort to those in despair.

Let’s be their light in this dark hour. Thank you for your compassion.

🙏 Let us pray for Myanmar.👐 Let us give.👣 Let us go where others cannot.