The United Nations will provide humanitarian assistance to Myanmar in the wake of the recent earthquake, with a total of USD 93 million pledged by international donors and an additional USD 5 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), according to Mr. Tom Fletcher, Under-Secretary-General and head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

Mr. Fletcher made this announcement during a meeting on April 6 in Nay Pyi Taw with Myanmar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Foreign Affairs, U Than Swe. The meeting also included a delegation led by Mr. Fletcher, representing UNOCHA, as well as high-level officials from Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During the discussions, Mr. Fletcher stated that USD 93 million has so far been pledged by the international community to support people affected by the earthquake, and USD 5 million from the UN’s emergency fund will be utilized immediately. He also mentioned that UN personnel will be deployed to implement the aid and relief operations.

The talks also addressed the response to the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, as well as ways to enhance cooperation between Myanmar and the United Nations in disaster response efforts.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Ministers and senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the interim UN Resident Coordinator in Yangon, the interim UN Humanitarian Coordinator, and the Head of UNOCHA’s Yangon office.

At the conclusion of the meeting, representatives from both sides observed a moment of silence to honor those who lost their lives and livelihoods in the earthquake.