After a massive earthquake struck Myanmar and Thailand on 28 March 2025, ASEAN Member States immediately extended their deepest sympathies and condolences to those affected by the deadly quake. The 7.7 magnitude tremor caused significant losses of life, injuries, and damage, particularly in the areas near the epicentre of Mandalay, Myanmar—Sagaing, Magway, Shan State, Naypyidaw, and Bago. Due to the scale of the disaster, the Myanmar authorities called for international support and assistance. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers immediately issued a statement and affirmed its readiness to provide recovery and relief efforts with the help of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre). ASEAN Member States provided immediate assistance through the deployment of Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams and Emergency Medical Teams and provided relief items and financial contributions to Myanmar.
A Special Emergency Meeting of ASEAN Foreign Ministers was convened on 30 March 2025 via video conference. In another statement following the meeting, “The Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the importance of a safe and conducive environment in Myanmar to ensure the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance.” The Ministers also supported the request to activate the role of the Secretary- General, following the current Terms of Reference of the Secretary-General of ASEAN, as the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordinator (SG-AHAC) to ensure the overall objective of an effective and timely response to the disaster.
On 5 April, Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dato’ Seri Utama Haji Mohamad bin Haji Hasan, as Chair of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, went on a humanitarian mission to Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. He was joined by the Foreign Minister of Thailand, Maris Sangiampongsa, in the mission to demonstrate its solidarity with the people of Myanmar.
ASEAN, through the AHA Centre, quickly activated its emergency protocols to assist the affected Member States. It raised the alert level of its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to Red (Active Response). It worked with the EOCs of Myanmar, Thailand, and other ASEAN Member States and partners for a coordinated and effective disaster response.
The ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) from all ASEAN Member States was deployed to conduct rapid assessment, facilitate incoming relief assistance, and support other field operations in affected areas such as Sagaing, Mandalay, and Nay Pyi Taw. The team also helped coordinate the activities of the USAR Teams and Emergency Medical Teams of several ASEAN Member States.
The AHA Centre deployed ASEAN relief items from the regional warehouses of the Disaster Emergency Logistics System for ASEAN (DELSA) in Subang, Malaysia and in Camp Aguinaldo, the Philippines. These items included kitchen sets, jerry cans, tarps, and buckets, as specified by Myanmar’s Department of Disaster Management. As of 21 April, the total value of deployed relief items was approximately 633,000 US dollars, contributed by Japan, Switzerland, and France.
The AHA Centre assisted in coordinating and pooling resources from foreign governments and organisations, as well as Mongolia, Timor-Leste, Red Cross Singapore, and Mercy Relief. The AHA Centre also received valuable support from the Changi RHCC, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF), the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Myanmar Airways International (MAI) in bringing necessary relief items from the ASEAN warehouses into Myanmar. Coordination and information management were supported by United Nations (UN) agencies, the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS), among other international and regional organisations.
As search and rescue operations have concluded, ASEAN has pledged to continue providing relief and humanitarian assistance to affected communities in Myanmar.
This article was written based on reports and situational updates from the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Centre) and the Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Division, ASEAN Socio-Cultural (ASSC) Department.
Access the latest updates at https://ahacentre.org/situation-update/situation-update-no-5-m7- 7-earthquake-in-myanmar-and-thailand-6-april-2025/
Read the complete statement: https://asean.org/wp-content/ uploads/2025/03/Final-ASEAN-FMs-Statement-on-Outcome-of-the- Special-Emergency-Meeting.pdf
