Mobile medical teams, clean water required for Myanmar: ICRC official
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Hsu
Following the powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28, the most urgent needs in central Myanmar include mobile medical teams and clean drinking water, an official from the International Rescue Committee (IRC) stated in the days after the disaster.
Amid the rubble, with many bodies yet to be recovered, the death toll is expected to rise. According to government media reports, the total number of fatalities has already exceeded 2,000.
Reech also mentioned that there has been a slight increase in European donations to NGOs. On March 28, the U.S. President pledged assistance to earthquake-affected Myanmar and Thailand.
On March 31, U.S. State Department spokesperson Timmy Brew stated that a team would be sent to Myanmar and that the State Department would provide $2 million in aid to NGOs in the country.
Although Reech noted that the IRC has not yet received support from the U.S. for this crisis, he said they have appealed to America for help.
"This is a major humanitarian crisis in history. U.S. assistance would be crucial in responding to this emergency," he said.
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