Together through the tremors

When the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar on the afternoon of March 28, Daw Than Than Sint was lying unconscious on a hospital bed, seven months pregnant and battling a lung infection. Her husband’s quick actions – carrying her to safety before the walls collapsed– saved her life. But as she regained consciousness, her thoughts immediately turned to her 15-year-old son, Aung Than, who lives with a disability and had been left at home. 

“When I woke up, I couldn’t stop thinking about my son. I was terrified that he might not have survived. He is my world,” she said. “If anything happened to him, I don’t know what I would do. I have cared for him every day for 15 years.” 

Aung Than, who is unable to walk or speak due to a neurological condition, relies entirely on his mother for daily care. During the earthquake, their home in Nay Pyi Taw’s Kyaukchet village remained standing, but the family was deeply shaken by the aftershocks that followed. Out of fear from continued aftershocks and tremors, they slept outside for several days – exposed to the heat, mosquitoes, and without reliable access to electricity or clean water.  

The earthquake has left deep scars across affected communities in Myanmar. More than 3,600 people lost their lives, and millions more—including large numbers of children—were directly affected across 58 townships in central Myanmar, home to over 9 million people.  

Homes, schools, and hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, and families like Than Than Sint’s are facing new challenges every day, from finding safe water to keeping their children healthy and protected. 

For Than Than Sint’s family, the struggle to cope has meant painful trade-offs. Her eldest son, who lives with the hope of returning to school this summer, had already dropped out to support the family by doing odd jobs at a construction site. But since the earthquake, the jobs have vanished – and so has the certainty that schools will reopen on schedule, with many now damaged or unsafe. 

“He wanted to keep studying,” Than Than Sint says quietly. “But we needed his help just to get by. I don’t know how to help him move forward.” 

Amid this hardship, Than Than Sint’s family found strength in each other, and in the support that arrived soon after the disaster. UNICEF teams were on the ground in her village within days, bringing vital help. With water sources destroyed and sanitation at risk, UNICEF provided the family with hygiene kits, water purification tablets, and buckets, helping them stay healthy. As Than Than Sint awaits the arrival of her baby, UNICEF’s newborn kit is helping her prepare with essential supplies for a safe and healthy start – at a time when local health facilities are still struggling to function in the aftermath of the quake. 

“The support from UNICEF makes a real difference,” Than Than Sint says. “We now have clean water to drink and wash, and I feel supported as I prepare for my baby’s arrival.” 

The weeks since the earthquake have not been easy. The family is still living in temporary conditions, and Then Than Sint worries about the future. But she remains determined. “We are strong because we have each other,” she says. “I want my children to feel safe again, to go back to school, and to dream for the future.” 

UNICEF continues to stand with families like Than Than Sint’s, delivering lifesaving supplies, providing psychosocial support, and helping communities cope. As Myanmar marks one month since the earthquake, hope endures in the resilience of affected families and the solidarity of those who support them. 

UNICEF remains on the ground, working with local partners and communities every day to ensure that children and families affected by the earthquake receive the support they need – especially as the approaching monsoon season brings heightened risks of flooding, further damage, displacement, and disease.