Turkish aid group sends food, relief to earthquake-hit Myanmar, Thailand

A Turkish aid organization has shipped dry food and provided hot meals to earthquake victims in Myanmar and Thailand as part of its relief efforts in the region.

“As IHH (The Human Rights and Freedoms Humanitarian Relief Foundation), we started our emergency aid efforts immediately after the earthquake. In the first stage, we distributed hot meals to 800 people in Thailand and provided water and dry food support to those affected by the earthquake in Myanmar,” the group said in a statement to Anadolu.

“Our aid efforts continue in the Mandalay region. Our teams are actively working in the field to ensure coordination and deliver humanitarian aid. We aim to expand our efforts in the coming days and reach more people,” it added.

Myanmar crisis worsened by conflict

The situation in Myanmar, already compounded by internal ethnic conflict, has worsened due to the twin earthquakes.

In an ongoing air raid campaign against rebel groups, Myanmar’s ruling junta allegedly attacked a humanitarian aid convoy operated by the Chinese Red Cross late Tuesday in Ommathi Village in northern Shan State.

The junta, however, stated that no one was injured in the attack.

Reacting to reports of the strike, China urged all sides in Myanmar to ensure the safety of relief workers.

Myanmar’s State Planning and Administration Council, led by junta leader Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, claimed Wednesday that “terrorist attacks” were “taking advantage of the earthquake relief efforts.”

ASEAN calls for equitable aid distribution

Separately, the Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) urged Myanmar to ensure relief efforts are distributed fairly, prioritizing vulnerable communities.

“It is important that humanitarian assistance reaches all affected communities and areas equitably and indiscriminately without delay, with special attention to vulnerable and marginalized populations,” the commission said in a statement, according to local media.

Twin earthquakes devastate region

Twin earthquakes of magnitudes 7.7 and 6.4 struck Myanmar and Thailand last Friday, with the epicenter in Myanmar’s Sagaing region, which suffered the most damage.

Myanmar’s State Administration Council information team reported that the death toll in Myanmar had reached 2,886, with 4,639 injured and 373 missing.

The earthquakes also impacted neighboring countries, with Thailand experiencing damage in Bangkok. At least 15 people were killed, while 72 remain missing after a building collapse in the Thai capital.

Numerous countries have dispatched search and rescue teams along with humanitarian aid to the earthquake-stricken areas.