The United Nations has strongly condemned Myanmar’s military for launching continued attacks in regions devastated by the 28 March earthquake, warning that these actions are worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Speaking on 11 April 2025, UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said the military has carried out more than 120 attacks since the quake, including aerial and artillery strikes. Over half of these assaults reportedly took place after the military’s declared ceasefire on 2 April.
“Civilians are continuing to suffer in Myanmar as military operations persist, despite ceasefires declared after last month’s tragic earthquake,” Shamdasani said.
“At a moment when the sole focus should be on ensuring humanitarian aid gets to disaster zones, the military is instead launching attacks.”
The UN warned that many of these strikes hit populated areas already affected by the quake and appear to be indiscriminate, potentially breaching international humanitarian law, including the principle of proportionality.
The confirmed death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake has risen to 3,649, with 5,018 people injured and 145 still missing, according to Xinhua News on 10 April. The quake caused widespread destruction across Sagaing Region—its epicentre—as well as parts of Mandalay, Shan State, Bago Region, and Naypyitaw.
Shamdasani emphasised that communities in the hardest-hit areas, particularly those controlled by anti-military forces, have had to rely entirely on local networks for search, rescue, and survival efforts. “Clearly these valiant efforts need to be further supported,” she said.
Earlier, on 1 April, Amnesty International issued a warning about continued military airstrikes in quake zones, describing the situation as inhumane.
“You cannot ask for aid with one hand and bomb with the other,” said Joe Freeman, Amnesty’s Myanmar researcher. “Carrying out air strikes and attacking civilians in the same region where the earthquake struck is inhumane and shows a blatant disregard for human rights.”
Survivors interviewed by Amnesty described attacks by paramotor aircraft—small, manned flying machines that are difficult to detect and can operate with minimal fuel. One rescue worker said the sound of their engines overhead was “like a chainsaw.”
A nurse from Chaung-U township in Sagaing, affiliated with the Civil Disobedience Movement, confirmed strikes on 31 March and again after the earthquake. Although no fatalities occurred in those specific attacks, residents remain gripped by fear.
Access to international aid remains severely restricted. While some supplies have reached certain regions, civil society and community-based networks remain the primary providers of relief. In Sagaing town, urgent needs include body bags, quicklime, torches, medicine, clean water, food, and mosquito repellent.
Hospitals are overwhelmed. A pregnant woman sheltering in Sagaing General Hospital told Amnesty: “The situation in the hospital was just like COVID-19. There are tons of dead bodies… The hospital just put them in the crematorium.”
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has issued repeated calls—on 4 April and again on 11 April—for a total halt to military operations and for unhindered humanitarian access.
“The people of Myanmar have suffered enough,” Türk said. “The response to this horrendous disaster must open pathways towards a comprehensive solution that upholds democracy and human rights.”
Türk also called for the release of all individuals arbitrarily detained since the February 2021 coup, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President U Win Myint. He urged the military to mark the upcoming Thingyan New Year festival, which begins on 13 April, with a full amnesty and renewed focus on national unity.
Despite a declared ceasefire by the opposition National Unity Government (NUG) on 30 March, and a separate humanitarian pause by the Three Brotherhood Alliance on 1 April, military operations have continued.
The true extent of the disaster remains unknown, with large swathes of the population still unreachable due to communications blackouts and security-related access blocks. Aid convoys are subject to surveillance and inspections, especially when arriving from areas perceived to be sympathetic to resistance groups.
With the humanitarian situation worsening by the day, international observers and human rights groups continue to urge immediate action to protect civilians and facilitate comprehensive relief efforts.
The post UN denounces Myanmar military attacks in quake-hit zones as death toll rises to 3,649 appeared first on The Online Citizen.
