In Mandalay, "the smell of corpses is omnipresent"

Nyo Nyo Taw and Way Kyi are part of HI’s emergency team that arrived among the first NGOs in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, which was devastated by the earthquake. One week on, they recount their journey, the desolate situation on the ground and describe the most urgent needs of the earthquake victims.

Despite the HI emergency team's anticipation of the state of the roads, the journey to Mandalay proved to be a trying one: 12 and a half hours on the road, between dilapidated roads and destroyed infrastructure. Forced to alternate between the old and new motorways, they saw alarming destruction on the pavement.

"We had to use the old road, because the new one has been particularly damaged by the earthquake", Nyo Nyo Taw.

On arrival, a city in ruins

Late in the evening, Mandalay reveals itself... and it's desolation. In the township of Amarapura, near Sagaing, 90% of the buildings had collapsed.

"The smell of bodies buried under the rubble was omnipresent, we could smelle the bodies everywhere in the town", Way Kyi explains.

On the way to the hotel, as the roads were damaged they had no choice to stop in the street and saw a funeral ceremony forced them to stop. It was a moment that left a deep impression on them and brought home the reality of the disaster.

"During the first night, there was an aftershock of 4.7 level, we didn't feel safe any more so we decided to find another shelter," says Nyo Nyo Taw.

Mandalay is facing an unprecedented crisis

In the Mandalay region, thousands of families are now sleeping outdoors, fleeing the threat of aftershocks. "They are staying outside, away from the buildings", explains Way Kyi.

The scale of the disaster goes beyond the experience of our colleagues, who have been used to responding to humanitarian crises in the past, such as the recent floods.

According to our colleagues, the infrastructure is in a critical state.  Cracks make some buildings extremely dangerous. The daily aftershocks are keeping the population in a state of anxiety. Some hotels are moving their receptions outside, fearing further collapses.

Mandalay is facing an unprecedented crisis. The lack of preparation and resources, combined with the constant fear of aftershocks, is plunging the population into deep distress.

“The situation requires a re-intensification of relief efforts to prevent the death toll from this disaster from getting any worse”,warns Way Kyi.

Health infrastructures, already fragile, are now overwhelmed. Hospitals are short of medical supplies, beds and, above all, nursing staff. The injured are pouring in, but essential equipment - crutches, walking frames, wheelchairs - is sorely lacking, making it difficult to care for the survivors.

HI's response

From the first hours after the earthquake, HI launched a rapid needs assessment in order to organise an appropriate response.

A stockpile of aid relief materials has been prepared and sent to the affected areas.

The supply of emergency kits dedicated to support the victims based in Mandalay has also begun. These kits include tents, sleeping mats, inflatable pillows, blankets, hydro-alcoholic gel, gloves and survival kits for extreme weather conditions.

HI is supporting Mandalay’s general hospital and an organization of people with disabilities. HI physiotherapists have started to provide initial rehabilitation care, and a team of psychologists is also trying to meet the huge need for psychological support that has been identified by all HI partners.

Continuing challenges

Relief operations are facing a number of major challenges: communications disruptions, difficulties in accessing drinking water and power cuts are hampering humanitarian efforts.

The heavy rain of the last two days also complicated the work of the emergency services.

Despite these obstacles, HI remains committed to providing essential aid to the survivors of the earthquake and is continuing its efforts to alleviate the suffering of the affected populations.