Photo caption: Earthquake-affected families rely on unclean and unreliable groundwater sources for survival. The lack of clean water has made daily life even more challenging in the aftermath of the disaster.

Mandalay, Myanmar — April 13, 2025—

“Without water, life stops. You can’t cook, you can’t clean, you can’t even bathe your children,” says Ma Thuzar Win, a mother of two from Mandalay. With tears in her eyes as she looks at her one-year-old daughter, she continues, “Everything breaks down — no water, no electricity. We are left in darkness and thirst.”

Like many families in the earthquake-affected areas of Myanmar, Ma Thuzar Win’s family faces daily struggles after the city’s water system fails. “It isn’t just drinking water,” she says. “Everything — bathing, washing, cooking, cleaning — needs water. And we women suffer the most.”

Photo caption: Ma Thuzar Win, a mother of two, reflects the sorrow and uncertainty faced by families after the earthquake. Her eyes reveal the emotional toll of the disaster on her and her children.

Without clean water and electricity, families are forced to rely on unsafe sources like muddy ponds and unclean underground water. They live in makeshift shelters made of tarpaulin, with little protection from the elements. “In the midst of fear, I sometimes go home at night to sleep because my children are too small to sleep outside without protection, especially as they get cold when they sleep outside,” Ma Thuzar Win says. “We have no choice but to fetch water from a nearby water source. It smells bad, but we have nothing else.”

Photo caption: Ma Thuzar Win’s 1-year-old daughter sleeps outside, unprotected from the elements.

Amid the hardship, charity groups arrive with much-needed relief, giving each household two 20-liter bottles of purified water. “When they come, it feels like a blessing,” she says. “At least we have clean water to drink for a few days.” But the need is overwhelming. “We can only drink that water. For everything else — bathing, washing, and toilets — we still have nothing. People crowd together in long queues when the water distribution team arrives.”

Photo caption: The room of Ma Thuzar Win, damaged and destroyed by the earthquake.

Solidarity in Action

In response to the urgent needs of the affected communities, UN-Habitat, in coordination with local partners and volunteers, carried out rapid needs assessments and building damage evaluations. With the contribution of the Sathya Sai Global Council and C!AT Myanmar, UN-Habitat distributed critical relief items including rice, instant noodles, instant cereal, canned tuna, protein biscuits, drinking water, and women’s sanitation pads — helping families like Ma Thuzar Win’s regain a sense of dignity and stability.

“This proved that partnerships are vital in times of need,” noted a UN-Habitat team member. “It’s a good practice we should amplify in other initiatives, too.”

Photo caption: A small relief package of rice, water, and milk to help Ma Thuzar Win and her two children survive for a few days.

Photo caption: A neighbor of Ma Thuzar Win receives a bag of rice and some nutritional supplies, providing much-needed support for her family after the earthquake.

Coordinating for Long-Term Resilience

In the immediate aftermath, UN-Habitat convened an ad-hoc Myanmar Climate Action Network (M-CAN) Steering Committee meeting to coordinate the humanitarian response. Recognizing that disasters demand both immediate action and long-term planning, the network agreed on guiding principles for a collective, community-led recovery:

• Technical Cooperation: Supporting local CSOs and forming technical partnerships.
• Response & Funding: Balancing immediate relief, such as emergency shelter and water support, with long-term, climate-resilient rebuilding.
• Clear Roles & Responsibilities: UN-Habitat leads policy coordination and resource mobilization, while M-CAN’s 44 partner organizations focus on on-the-ground implementation, guided by local trust and cultural relevance.
• Local Leadership: Engaging local CSOs and community leaders early, encouraging participatory planning, and strengthening capacity for long-term resilience.

“Speed is crucial,” said a local volunteer. “But so is listening to communities and making sure what we build lasts.”

Photo caption: People stand in long queues, overcrowded, to receive two 20-liter bottles of water for their families in earthquake-affected areas.

Building Back Better, Together

The recovery plan follows a “Build Back Better” (BBB) approach from the start, avoiding hasty reconstruction in high-risk areas and focusing on climate-resilient infrastructure. Special attention is given to WASH services in schools and clinics, as well as temporary shelter solutions for displaced families.

UN-Habitat, together with the Myanmar Engineering Society (MES), international engineering professionals, M-CAN members, private sector partners, and development allies, is committed to:

• Establishing a knowledge-sharing center
• Conducting building assessment clinics
• Providing surveying equipment
• Strengthening local engineering and architectural capacity
• Producing a comprehensive damage assessment report
• Offering actionable recommendations for resilient recovery
• Promoting better urban planning regulations and improved building standards
• Prioritizing vulnerable groups to prevent informal settlements

“In a disaster, you truly understand that water is life,” Ma Thuzar Win said softly. “We don’t need much — just enough to survive, stay clean, and maintain our dignity.”

Photo caption: People crowd together in long queues to receive two 20-liter bottles of water for their families in earthquake-affected areas.

About M-CAN

The Myanmar Climate Action Network (M-CAN), launched in 2023 under the Myanmar Climate Change Alliance (MCCA) programme, is implemented by UN-Habitat and funded by the European Union. It brings together over 200 non-state climate actors. M-CAN focuses on moving beyond climate discussions by fostering partnerships and promoting locally-led climate action, especially for the most vulnerable.

Its members include civil engineers, water experts, GIS specialists, environmentalists, renewable energy practitioners, doctors, urban planners, climate experts, agronomists, DRR specialists, researchers, private sector professionals, and entrepreneurs — all committed to collective action in disaster response and building long-term resilience.

Through cross-sector collaboration, local leadership, and resilience-focused strategies, communities in Myanmar are proving that, even in the hardest times, solidarity and determination can lead the way forward.