After the news of the earthquake that devastated the Burmese population on March 28, we immediately mobilized to provide help to the displaced families.
Planning an intervention was not easy. In addition to the structural damage caused by the quake and the subsequent soil liquefaction—which led to the delayed collapse of buildings and infrastructure, making movement difficult—the military junta has not yet authorized humanitarian aid from major organizations.
Thanks to the determination of our local partners, we managed to find a solution: CADIS Thailand (Camillian Disaster International Service) and Caritas Thailand contacted Caritas Myanmar (Karuna Mission Social Solidarity – KMSS), which, through the Catholic Church, facilitated the entry and transport of aid to the affected areas.
A first pilot shipment was organized on April 21. Two vans loaded with food parcels and emergency health kits left from Camillian Home in Lat Krabang, on the outskirts of Bangkok. After a couple of days, volunteers arrived in Mae Hong Son, the border area between Thailand and Myanmar, where they handed over the packages to colleagues from Caritas Myanmar, who then traveled toward Mandalay, the epicenter of the earthquake.
Following the success of the first shipment, a second team of volunteers departed on May 28, again from Camillian Home. Aid reached the remote neighborhoods of Mandalay, Sagaing, Naypyidaw, South Shan, and Bago about a week after the shipment.
In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, helping the Burmese people seemed almost impossible, but with patience and determination, we made it—and we are confident we can continue, with you by our side.
