Cologne/Yangon. A Malteser International emergency relief team will travel towards Yangon, Myanmar, on Saturday evening to support local colleagues in their initial emergency relief efforts for people in the affected areas. The first relief measures have already been launched: “Our medical teams, water, sanitation, and hygiene specialists, along with trained volunteers, are on the ground assessing needs and coordinating emergency assistance. Medicines and medical supplies are urgently needed,” says Oliver Hochedez, Head of the Emergency Relief Department at Malteser International. 

The full extent of the devastating earthquake on Friday afternoon (local time) is only gradually becoming clear. Myanmar’s military government has reported over 1,000 fatalities, but experts anticipate the actual toll will be significantly higher. The destruction is extensive, with some estimates suggesting damage may exceed the country’s total economic output.

Malteser International works in Myanmar’s Yangon and Shan States. We support people in need in the areas of health, water, hygiene and sanitation. Even before the earthquake, almost 20 million people in Thailand’s neighboring country were dependent on humanitarian aid due to multiple crises.

Malteser International has been active in Thailand since 1979 and in Myanmar since 1996. In Thailand, Malteser International provides healthcare for refugees along the Myanmar border.

Attention editors:
Oliver Hochedez, Head of the Emergency Department at Malteser International, is available for interviews and sound bites.
Media contact: olga.palinkasev@malteser-international.org

The people in Myanmar and Thailand are in urgent need of donations.