The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that in reaction to Friday’s “huge” earthquake in Myanmar, it activated its emergency management system and deployed its logistics centre in Dubai to provide supplies for trauma injuries.
World Health Organisation spokesperson Margaret Harris told a media briefing that the organisation is coordinating its earthquake response from its Geneva headquarters. “Because we see this as a huge event” and “clearly a very, very big threat to life and health.
“We’ve activated our logistics hub to look particularly for trauma supplies and things like external fixators because we expect that there will be many, many injuries that need to be dealt with,” Harris said.
The WHO will also focus on bringing in necessary medications, she said, even if Myanmar’s own healthcare system may suffer harm.
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According to Harris, “we know very well what you need to send in first” because of the recent experience with the 2023 earthquakes in Cyprus and Syria.
Myanmar, which has been shattered by conflict between the army and various ethnic rebel groups, is already the focus of a dedicated UN health agency cell.
Additionally, it just so happened that the WHO has recently evaluated the most effective routes for delivering supplies to Myanmar.
“We need to know the precise location, what, and why before we can move in, but we are prepared to do so. The most important information at the moment is from the ground,” Harris stated.
