Myanmar in May 2025: A Nation Shaken by Earthquakes, War, and an Unyielding Military Junta

As I write today in May 2025, my heart breaks for the people of Myanmar. The country is still trembling from one of the most devastating earthquakes in its modern history. Families are living in constant fear of aftershocks, and countless people remain trapped in grief, having lost loved ones, homes, and livelihoods. What makes this tragedy even more unbearable is that the people are left to suffer under a military regime that has proven time and again to be no true government at all. Instead of serving and protecting its citizens, it continues to terrorize, abandon, and exploit them.

The situation in Myanmar was already dire before the disaster struck. The military coup of 2021 shattered any remaining trust in governance, plunging the country into civil war, economic collapse, and widespread human rights abuses. Even now, years later, communities across Myanmar are plagued by violence and displacement, with hundreds of thousands forced from their homes by conflict. The UN has repeatedly raised the alarm about the worsening humanitarian crisis, warning of famine-like conditions, lack of basic services, and the collapse of health care systems.

Now, with the earthquake, Myanmar faces another layer of tragedy. According to United Nations reports, the natural disaster compounded an already fragile humanitarian landscape. Tens of thousands of survivors are in desperate need of food, clean water, medical aid, and shelter. Yet, the military junta continues to obstruct relief efforts, prioritizing its grip on power over the lives of its own citizens. Survivors are left to fend for themselves, often relying on grassroots networks or international organizations that struggle to gain access.

The New York Times recently reported that in northern Myanmar, armed groups and rebel forces have been forced to retreat amid continuing conflict. This leaves civilians trapped between collapsing infrastructure from the quake and escalating clashes on the ground. Meanwhile, the United Nations has highlighted the immense difficulty of delivering aid, warning that humanitarian access remains dangerously restricted. These obstacles mean that countless lives are being lost not only to the quake itself but also to the junta’s cruel negligence.

What makes this tragedy even more painful is the silence and inaction of the global community. The world recognizes the cruelty of the Myanmar military and the suffering it inflicts on civilians, yet far too little has been done to protect the people. Words of condemnation cannot rebuild destroyed homes, feed the hungry, or comfort the grieving. Myanmar’s people need urgent and sustained international intervention, both to deliver aid and to hold the military accountable for its crimes.

My prayers and thoughts are with the people of Myanmar. They deserve safety, dignity, and the chance to rebuild their lives. They should not be left to suffer in silence while their so-called government continues to treat them as enemies rather than citizens. The world must step forward, not only with humanitarian aid in the wake of this devastating earthquake but also with stronger action to support Myanmar’s fight for democracy, peace, and justice. Please find the related articles below. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/05/1163706 https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/05/1162881 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/world/asia/china-myanmar-rebels-withdraw-lashio.html Photo Source: UNICEF/Nyan Zay Htet