{"id":15235,"date":"2025-04-11T11:38:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T11:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/11\/myanmars-deadly-earthquake-exposes-void-left-by-us-in-global-disaster-responses\/"},"modified":"2025-04-11T11:38:20","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T11:38:20","slug":"myanmars-deadly-earthquake-exposes-void-left-by-us-in-global-disaster-responses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/11\/myanmars-deadly-earthquake-exposes-void-left-by-us-in-global-disaster-responses\/","title":{"rendered":"Myanmar\u2019s deadly earthquake exposes void left by US in global disaster responses"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3eko001w26oy5g73erkb@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            As civil war-torn Myanmar struggles to recover from a devastating earthquake, the United States is facing criticism that it has abandoned the country in its hour of need \u2013 and is ceding global leadership on disaster response to its rivals.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00043b6o6s85sgpd@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The 7.7-magnitude quake, which struck on March 28 and killed thousands, is the first major natural disaster since the Trump administration canceled billions of dollars in lifesaving programs under its drive to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the main US humanitarian aid agency.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00053b6oyxobylty@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            USAID used to administer most of America\u2019s foreign aid \u2013 61% of the $71 billion total budget in 2023. But since taking office in January, the Trump administration has laid off thousands of its employees, and cut 83% of USAID programs \u2013 including staff and programs working to help Myanmar. On Wednesday, they also announced that all foreign staff would be laid off.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00063b6omf60q3qp@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Those cuts have been felt in the meager US response to the Myanmar quake, according to experts, exposing a void in international relief measures for major catastrophes.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00083b6oc6qbztib@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cNot only did the United States only send a paltry amount of assistance, it sent only three workers, which then subsequently were fired while they were on the ground in Myanmar providing assistance.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000a3b6ouk6ki61j@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            At least 3,550 people died and nearly 5,000 others were injured when the earthquake hit the impoverished Southeast Asian nation \u2013 which has already endured years of civil war since a military coup in 2021, leaving nearly 20 million people in need of aid.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000b3b6oy8e5it0t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The military government does not control all of the resource-rich country, as it battles a patchwork of powerful ethnic militias and pro-democracy groups.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/interactive-video\/instances\/cm9b40bnx00073b6o77hbyj20@published\" class=\"interactive-video\" data-component-name=\"interactive-video\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__container \">            <video class=\"interactive-video__player\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"\" playsinline=\"\"><\/video>        <\/div>\n<div class=\"interactive-video__metadata\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__caption\">                    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">A boy tries to gather water from the crack in a road damaged by the earthquake in Mandalay, March 30<\/span><figcaption class=\"interactive-video__credit\">LIFT\/UNOPS<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000c3b6odzafm1np@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe needs are massive right now,\u201d said Matthew Smith, CEO of human rights organization Fortify Rights, based in neighboring Thailand. \u201cAnd unfortunately, the aid effort is not as robust as it could or should be.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000d3b6o5meryuf2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Two days after the quake, the US pledged $2 million in assistance to Myanmar \u2013 later increased to a total of $9 million \u2013 for emergency shelter, food, medical care and water, according to a post on X from State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000e3b6otz1big4z@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But Smith says that with minimal staffing on the ground, it is unclear how that money would be channeled.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000f3b6ouhth0itt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThere\u2019s nobody to administer that aid, there (are) no aid workers on the ground, there\u2019s no deployment happening,\u201d Smith said. \u201cTo so drastically cut it the way that they have was reckless and irresponsible.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000g3b6ogcisdojq@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the American response in Brussels last week. The US is \u201cnot the government of the world,\u201d he said, adding that although Washington would continue to provide some humanitarian assistance, others should do more.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000h3b6oq3q2irlb@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThere are a lot of other countries in the world and everyone should pitch in,\u201d Rubio said. \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair to assume that the United States needs to continue to share the burden (of) 60-70% of humanitarian aid around the world.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000i3b6of81xpznc@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Comparisons have been made to the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria in February 2023, when the US deployed hundreds of relief workers and pledged $185 million in assistance.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000j3b6ocsnatsjt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIn the past, the US government has certainly been one of the most effective response teams to mass-scale natural disasters,\u201d Smith said.    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm9am6kk7001p3b6ob6v3z3e0@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"strategic-mistake\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        \u2018Strategic mistake\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000l3b6o0621fc0r@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Multiple countries are filling the gap left by Washington\u2019s limited earthquake response, including China, Russia and India \u2013 which have sent aid, rescue teams and mobile medical units to Myanmar.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000m3b6op9ke7wvl@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Tom Fletcher, the United Nations\u2019 humanitarian affairs chief \u2013 who spent several days visiting the areas worst affected by the quake \u2013 said the world \u201ccan\u2019t be reliant on US support alone.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000o3b6oz4ot5jl3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            This year\u2019s humanitarian appeal from the UN\u2019s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has only been 7% funded \u2013 which will hamper relief efforts around the world, he added.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000p3b6ovgb00ra8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI\u2019ve been in touch with China, with Russia, other countries that are moving aid in to try to ensure that we get as much global support as possible,\u201d Fletcher said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000q3b6oiyu0vbs3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Beyond the humanitarian impact of the US retreat on assistance, ex-USAID official Bencosme said ceding this ground to adversaries such as Beijing and Moscow is a \u201cstrategic mistake\u201d from a soft power perspective.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/interactive-video\/instances\/cm9b40w92000a3b6ohosi41u9@published\" class=\"interactive-video\" data-component-name=\"interactive-video\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__container \">            <video class=\"interactive-video__player\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"\" playsinline=\"\"><\/video>        <\/div>\n<div class=\"interactive-video__metadata\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__caption\">                    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Families displaced by the earthquake queue for bottled water in Mandalay.<\/span><figcaption class=\"interactive-video__credit\">MPA<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000r3b6o087pej5l@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cOther actors will fill in that leadership void, which makes it difficult for the US to leverage international assistance or international help in the future,\u201d Bencosme said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000s3b6osaws20p6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Smith, of Fortify Rights, said some of the countries providing help to Myanmar are also facilitating the military\u2019s attacks on rebel-held areas, which have continued since the disaster.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000t3b6ostxrcq6t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt\u2019s deeply troubling, ironic sadly, in some ways that the same countries that are providing the Myanmar military junta with weapons that the junta is using to kill civilians, those are the same countries now arriving into Myanmar to help with the aid effort,\u201d he said.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm9amgr0j00073b6osbgoh3im@published\" class=\"image_expandable image_expandable__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-name=\"Sein-Pan-2.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.563125\" data-original-height=\"901\" data-original-width=\"1600\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/sein-pan-2.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_expandable__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">More than 400 houses burned down after a fire broke out following the earthquake in the Sein Pan area of Mandalay.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_expandable__credit\">Zaw Zaw<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm9anggrj00013b6o1yg44ctr@published\" class=\"image_expandable image_expandable__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-name=\"building-collapse-1-2.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.563125\" data-original-height=\"901\" data-original-width=\"1600\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/building-collapse-1-2.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_expandable__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Earthquake destruction in Mandalay on April 1, 2025.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_expandable__credit\">Zaw Zaw<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cm9am73s9001t3b6o5v42ptlq@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"reduced-to-ashes\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Reduced to ashes<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000v3b6oaq3s8h8z@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            For the homeless residents of Mandalay\u2019s Sein Pan district, in the epicenter of the earthquake zone, aid can\u2019t come fast enough.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000w3b6oboqcx0v2@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The informal settlement of wooden shacks was built on a landfill dump, and the tremors ignited a huge fire which spread rapidly, residents said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000x3b6owi1wko7q@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe fireball emerged from the ground immediately after the earthquake,\u201d said resident Kyi Thein, as she stood on the charred remains of her home. \u201cThe fire spread out across the district and wiped out all 400 houses. Everybody ran away and now nothing remains.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/interactive-video\/instances\/cm9b41eyn000c3b6ocw8nsw3r@published\" class=\"interactive-video\" data-component-name=\"interactive-video\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__container \">            <video class=\"interactive-video__player\" loop=\"\" muted=\"\" autoplay=\"\" playsinline=\"\"><\/video>        <\/div>\n<div class=\"interactive-video__metadata\">\n<div class=\"interactive-video__caption\">                    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">A man cries in front of his destroyed home in Mandalay.<\/span><figcaption class=\"interactive-video__credit\">MPA<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000y3b6ojmbh5nkp@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI hope the government authorities will provide aid to us,\u201d Kyi Thein said. \u201cWe are now depending on private donors for a living, but we need support.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf000z3b6o1knw6hh4@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Another Sein Pan resident, who did not wish to share her name for security reasons, said the flames were so intense that they were unable to save any possessions.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00103b6obh98hvho@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe entire neighborhood was reduced to ashes,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m relieved to have survived. I just want my home back.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00113b6on2ydek16@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            In the quake\u2019s aftermath, junta leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing made a rare request for international aid. But the UN human rights office says the military has also been using its routine strategy of blocking and controlling access to aid and humanitarian workers.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm9amkjdt000d3b6olmm0lckp@published\" class=\"image_expandable image_expandable__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-name=\"Sein-Pan-1.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.563125\" data-original-height=\"901\" data-original-width=\"1600\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/sein-pan-1.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_expandable__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">The remnants of burned homes after a fire broke out following the earthquake in Sein Pan district, Mandalay on April 4, 2025.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_expandable__credit\">Zaw Zaw<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm9amjaq1000b3b6owu2li9te@published\" class=\"image_expandable image_expandable__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-name=\"monk.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.563125\" data-original-height=\"901\" data-original-width=\"1600\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/monk.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_expandable\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_expandable--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_expandable--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_expandable--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_expandable__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_expandable__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">A monk walks through an earthquake-hit area in Sein Pan district, Mandalay on April 4, 2025.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_expandable__credit\">Zaw Zaw<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00123b6o0b4zp0xv@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Two weeks after the disaster struck, workers in the impacted areas are no longer looking for survivors &#8211; they have now switched to a recovery and aid operation.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00133b6otg22j1jt@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But the challenges of doing so without the support they need are growing.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00143b6ohacg7z1p@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe need to use proper machines to recover bodies under the collapsed buildings,\u201d said 41-year-old Ei Mon Khine, an official from a social assistance association who was working on the scene. \u201cWhen the rescuers do not arrive in time, the dead bodies become spoiled and deformed,\u201d making it harder to recover the remains, she said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00153b6oim333ot0@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            People who have lost their homes are also dealing with temperatures of more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius), along with thunderstorms that rolled through last weekend.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00163b6o3wsp4mm6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThere was heavy wind and rain, and you have people living in tents outside on the street, so it made an already difficult situation even worse,\u201d said Sara Netzer, Myanmar country director for the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), based in Yangon.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00173b6o4foon2l5@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe need to ensure that we are already thinking about how we can build some temporary shelter for people, and that will also help prevent this spread of disease as well.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00183b6oklr9szr3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Many quake-hit communities in Mandalay and the neighboring Sagaing region were already hosting those displaced by the civil war, she added, showing the \u201cresiliency\u201d of Myanmar, but increasing the need for help before more heavy rains arrive.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm9am3xvf00193b6ou9uonvm6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI think it\u2019s illustrative of the kind of race against time that we have right now, before the monsoon season starts here in Myanmar,\u201d Netzer said.    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As civil war-torn Myanmar struggles to recover from a devastating earthquake, the United States is facing criticism that it has abandoned the country in its hour of need \u2013 and is ceding global leadership on disaster response to its rivals. The 7.7-magnitude quake, which struck on March 28 and killed thousands, is the first major <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15236,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-15235","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/digitaltradecenter.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}