Photo caption: Daw Nu Yee lives with her family on the roadside, opposite their damaged rented home after the earthquake. They are waiting for a safe place to stay.

“It’s because of my son-in-law that I’m still alive,” says Daw Nu Yee, a 56-year-old mother of two and grandmother of four, including little Min Chit Taw, just a year and a half old.

When the massive earthquake struck on March 28, Daw Nu Yee—who has been unable to walk for the past three years—was trapped on the sixth floor of her building in Aung Myae Thar San Township, Mandalay Region. “My son-in-law carried me out of the room while everything was shaking. He saved my life,” she recalls.

Photo caption: Daw Nu Yee now lives with her family on the roadside, opposite the damaged rented house that was once their home after the earthquake.

Daw Nu Yee now lives with her family on the roadside opposite the rubble of what was once their home. Their eight-member family, once safe under one roof, has been forced to take refuge in the open since the devastating earthquake hit central Myanmar.

Living with a chronic illness and unable to walk, daily life has become a painful struggle. “It’s so difficult to sleep at night, especially when it rains,” she explains. “I can’t even sit properly. Taking a shower, going to the toilet, or having a drink of water — everything is a challenge.”

Her son-in-law, the family’s only breadwinner, works as a daily laborer, carrying goods to earn a living. Despite his efforts, his small income is barely enough to meet their most basic needs.

Photo caption: One of Daw Nu Yee’s neighbors Ma War War Oo, 25, now lives under a makeshift tarpaulin shelter by the roadside. She and her family were displaced after the earthquake destroyed their home.

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which struck near Sagaing City—about 32 kilometers from Mandalay—caused widespread devastation across central Myanmar. It severely affected Sagaing, Mandalay, Shwebo, Naypyitaw, Meiktila, and other nearby regions, destroying homes, schools, hospitals, religious sites, and public infrastructure. Preliminary estimates indicate around 9.1 million people have been affected, with more than 49,857 buildings damaged, including over 2,400 schools, 921 monastic schools, 394 religious buildings, and 193 healthcare facilities.

Photo caption: Ma War War Oo, 25, looks relieved after receiving emergency relief items from UN-Habitat, including rice, instant noodles, and protein cookies.

As of April 10, 2025, more than 3,600 lives have been lost, 5,000 people injured, and 145 remain missing. A severe 6.6-magnitude aftershock worsened the situation, further damaging critical infrastructure such as hospitals, roads, and airports. Over 12,000 people have been displaced, seeking temporary refuge in monasteries, schools, and makeshift shelters made of tarpaulin and bamboo. Many are still living on roadsides and public platforms. For Daw Nu Yee and families like hers, the immediate need is clear — shelter. With the monsoon season fast approaching, the lack of secure, adequate shelter puts them at serious health and safety risk. The situation is especially dire for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

Photo caption: Many of Daw Nu Yee’s neighbors continue to live on the roadside after the earthquake, facing ongoing challenges.

U Tin Maung Htun, a local volunteer, has been helping displaced families for the past week. “People need more than food and water. They need a place where they can sleep safely, where children can study, and where families can start healing,” he says. “A shelter is not just a structure — it’s dignity, security, and hope.”

Photo caption: Families with small children continue to live on the roadside, struggling to find shelter. The harsh conditions make daily life even more difficult for these vulnerable families.

UN-Habitat, in collaboration with the Myanmar Engineering Society (MES), local community leaders, the Myanmar Climate Action Network (M-CAN), and international and national professionals and technicians, is actively responding by distributing emergency relief and basic household items in the most affected areas, including Mandalay Region, Inle Lake and Nyaung Shwe Township in Shan State. However, resources are stretched, and the need for durable, transitional shelters is growing daily.

Photo caption: Families with young children remain on the roadside, exposed to the elements. The ongoing struggle for shelter and safety intensifies their hardship in the aftermath of the earthquake.

For Daw Nu Yee and her family, hope lies in having a safe, dignified place to call home again — a space where her grandchildren can sleep without fear and where she no longer must endure the harshness of the streets.

Photo caption: Families with young children continue to live on the roadside, facing uncertainty and hardship after the earthquake. They urgently need shelter and support.