On March 28th, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, with a significant impact on the country and its neighboring country, Thailand. The earthquake's epicenter was located approximately 20 km northeast of Mandalay at a depth of 10 km, followed by at least three aftershocks. In response, Myanmar's military junta declared a state of emergency in several affected regions, including Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, northeastern Shan State, the Naypyitaw Council Area, and Bago.
This report provides an area profile of the regions in Myanmar most affected by the earthquake, outlining the current humanitarian conditions of the population and key considerations for response efforts.
Myanmar is facing one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with approximately 19.9 million people—over a third of the population—in need of humanitarian aid. Since the 2021 military coup, conflict has escalated across 96% of the country’s townships, displacing 3.5 million people internally.
The situation in the Mandalay region is particularly alarming. Between March 18–23, 2025, airstrikes reportedly killed civilians and destroyed homes in multiple townships, including Natogyi, Myingyan, and Singu. This surge in violence comes amid a broader collapse of essential services and infrastructure. Nationwide, only 53% of households remain connected to the electricity grid—a figure that drops to just 20% in rural areas, further compounding the crisis (BNI 25/03/2025, ICVA 20/03/2025, Senego 13/05/2025).
At the same time, food security has deteriorated dramatically. Nearly a third of the population—15.2 million people—are facing acute food insecurity, with approximately 2 million at risk of famine. The healthcare system has also crumbled as targeted attacks on medical facilities and personnel continue. Since the coup, more than 1,500 attacks on healthcare facilities have been documented, severely limiting access to medical care (Abc News 14/03/2025, OHCHR 28/02/2025).
Children are among the most affected by this crisis. More than half (55%) now live in poverty, while 45% of teenagers are out of school, and 40% of young children lack access to nutritious meals. With conditions worsening across multiple sectors, urgent humanitarian intervention is needed to prevent further suffering (BNI 25/03/2025, UNHCR 13/03/2025).
This report provides a comprehensive area profile of the five most affected Myanmar regions: Mandalay Region, Magway Region, Northeastern Shan State, Naypyitaw Council Area, and Bago Region. The analysis focuses on pre-existing vulnerabilities, population needs, disruption to services, and key humanitarian concerns based on available information.
