(AGENPARL) – Fri 26 September 2025 Logo ICRC EN.jpg      International Committee of the Red Cross
** Myanmar: Six months after the earthquake, access to clean water remains a lifeline for hard-hit communities
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ICRC – News Release
26 September 2025
Geneva/Yangon (ICRC) – Six months after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, access to safe water remains one of the most urgent and persistent challenges for affected communities.
The disaster is estimated to have left around 4.3 million people in need of clean water and sanitation assistance across the Southeast Asian country, forcing many to resort to unsafe sources for their daily needs. In Sagaing Region, one of the most severely affected areas, only 20 per cent of the population had access to safe drinking water.
“Since all the water tanks were broken, we had to rely on the lake and drink water from it,” says U Nyein Maung, a resident of Nyaung Pin Thar Village in Mandalay region. “Some areas had enough, others had nothing, there just wasn’t enough water for everyone.”
From monasteries turned into temporary shelters to overcrowded displacement sites, daily life continues to be challenging with limited access to basic services. In hard-hit and hard-to-reach areas, such as Amarapura Township and Nyaung Pin Thar Village in the Mandalay Region, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has supported emergency water operations to ensure access to safe drinking water, providing a vital source of relief for communities with no stable water supply.
In the weeks following the disaster, in close coordination with the Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) and other local partners, the ICRC worked to restore access to safe water through both emergency interventions and longer-term repairs.
Water trucking, donation of water tanks, borehole rehabilitation and distribution of hygiene kits were carried out in remote areas, many of which were difficult to access due to damaged infrastructure or security constraints.
“People with money can afford to buy water, but those of us who don’t have money can’t,” said Ma Sain Sain Myat from Amarapura Township. “We have to wait for the water truck. If we manage to fill four, five or six buckets, that’s just enough to last us until the next delivery. We’re drinking the clean water being provided, and it makes a real difference.”
Since March, the ICRC has supported more than 81,000 people with access to safe water, working closely with local organisations, the MRCS and community volunteers. These efforts have ensured that some of the most vulnerable households maintain a sense of stability and dignity by ensuring access to one of life’s most essential resources, despite the ongoing disruptions.
“Water systems in many affected townships were either destroyed or heavily damaged,” said Ei Shwe Zin Myo, an ICRC water and habitat engineer in Mandalay. “Our priority has been to deliver emergency relief, but also to begin restoring sustainable access to clean water. Communities should not have to rely indefinitely on water trucks.”
Since the 28 March earthquake, the last reports indicate that at least 3,817 people were killed and 5,104 were injured across the most severely affected regions. An estimated 29,000 homes were either destroyed or severely damaged in Mandalay Region alone.
In response, nearly 186,000 people across Myanmar have received humanitarian assistance from the ICRC over the past six months. This support has included access to clean drinking water and shelter, food and essential household items, multipurpose cash grants and livelihood assistance.
While these efforts have been essential, humanitarian needs remain high. Many communities still rely on temporary solutions and face ongoing challenges accessing essential services. The ICRC continues to support long-term infrastructure repair, improve sanitation and ensure sustainable access to safe water as part of a broader recovery effort. Continued access and international support remain critical to help families rebuild their lives with dignity.
ICRC in Myanmar 
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About the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial and independent organization with an exclusively humanitarian mandate that stems from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. It helps people around the world affected by armed conflict and other violence, doing everything it can to protect their lives and dignity and to relieve their suffering, often alongside its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
** For more information, please contact:
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Public Relations Unit | International Committee of the Red Cross | 19, avenue de la Paix | 1202 Geneva | Switzerland
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ICRC, Avenue de la Paix, 19, Geneva, . 1201 Switzerland