YANGON -- As the response to Myanmar's 7.9-magnitude earthquake transitions from emergency relief to long-term recovery, there is an urgent need for sustained support in rebuilding housing infrastructures, restoring water and electricity, and enabling economic recovery, Yasmine Praz Dessimoz, director of Operations of International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said.

Beyond emergency response, recovery efforts have to be sustained in the long run, for local people to resume a normal life, she told Xinhua in an interview.

Stark challenges persist as earthquake-affected areas face crises like loss of livelihoods, damaged infrastructure and psychological trauma, and the monsoon season threatens makeshift shelters, she said.

The ICRC official said that the organization plans to expand livelihood programs and collaborate with local authorities and international partners, focusing on restoring local livelihood, water and food supply, and the health sector.

The ICRC will work closely with the Myanmar Red Cross Society and partners in the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including the Red Cross Society of China, in deploying the best personnel and expertise to address both immediate and systemic vulnerabilities of earthquake-affected regions, she said.

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake, which jolted Myanmar on March 28, has claimed 3,726 lives and left 5,105 people injured, with 129 others remaining unaccounted for as of April 18, according to Myanmar's State Administration Council Information Team on April 19.

The Red Cross Society of China has sent four batches of relief materials and rescue equipment to the earthquake-stricken Myanmar, with a total value of nearly 7.62 million yuan ($1.04 million) and a combined weight of 242.5 metric tons, the organization said on Thursday as it wraps up its international aid mission there.

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake hit Myanmar on March 28, with its epicenter in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city. The quake has killed more than 3,700 people and injured over 5,000.

China's Red Cross said that it has dispatched 37 experienced rescue workers from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and the provinces of Zhejiang, Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou to carry out emergency rescue operations.

As of Thursday, the organization's rescue team has also set up three temporary settlements that can accommodate about 6,300 people in Mandalay and the nation's capital Nay Pyi Daw.

They have also installed water supply equipment to provide clean water for 15,000 individuals and constructed emergency toilets capable of meeting needs of 5,000 people.

Additionally, they have trained 271 local volunteers in the fields of water supply, public health, tent construction and epidemic prevention and disinfection for Myanmar's Red Cross.

In response to the request of the Myanmar government, the Chinese government has set up a disaster investigation and assessment team consisting of 30 experts to carry out disaster assessment work in Myanmar. On March 28, Myanmar was struck by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake, causing significant damage and loss of life.

YANGON -- The Chinese Embassy in Myanmar confirmed that as of 17:00 Beijing time (0300 GMT) on Saturday, the powerful earthquake in Myanmar has resulted in the deaths of eight Chinese citizens and injuries to 13 others.

The 7.9-magnitude earthquake, which jolted Myanmar on March 28, has claimed 3,689 lives and left 5,020 people injured, with 139 others remaining unaccounted for, according to Myanmar's State Administration Council Information Team on Friday.

YANGON -- The powerful earthquake that struck Myanmar has claimed 3,689 lives and left 5,020 people injured, with 139 others remaining unaccounted for as of Friday, according to the country's State Administration Council Information Team.

China has decided to provide Myanmar with a new batch of emergency humanitarian supplies including refined oil, prefabricated houses, operation rooms, medicines, and vaccines, which are much needed in the country's epidemic prevention and reconstruction after the earthquake last month.

China will also send teams of medical experts to the neighboring country for treatment and disinfection, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a daily news briefing on Thursday.

Experts will also be sent for inspection, assessment and restoration of buildings and cultural relics in the Southeast Asian nation, Lin said.

After the earthquake, over 30 rescue teams with more than 600 rescue workers from China went to Myanmar and multi batches of emergency humanitarian supplies were provided to the country, which displays China's speed, effectiveness and warmth, he said.

China was the first country to announce humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, the first to send rescue teams, he said, adding that it also saved the first survivor in Myanmar and is the first country to set up a settlement center in the earthquake-stricken area.

China's rescue efforts were warmly welcomed and commended by the people in Myanmar, Lin said.

"A merciless disaster brings out the best of humanity," he said, pledging continuous help to the people in Myanmar to overcome the difficulties and rebuild their homes.

The second batch of humanitarian relief supplies donated by the Red Cross Society of China to quake-stricken Myanmar arrived in the city of Mandalay near the epicenter in the evening of Tuesday, said the organization.

China's Red Cross sent four heavy-duty trucks loaded with emergency equipment to address hygiene, epidemic prevention and livelihood needs in affected areas. Key equipment include clean water units, mobile toilets, electric generators, lighting and disinfection devices.

These supplies were transported through a land port in Southwest China's Kunming, Yunan province, and reached Mandalay under the escort of local police.

The 7.9 magnitude quake hit Myanmar with an epicenter near Mandalay on March 28.

The first batch of relief supplies from China's Red Cross comprised mainly tends, blankets, folding beds and family kits arrived in Mandalay on April 2.

Six Chinese citizens dead, 13 injured Myanmar's devastating earthquake: Chinese embassy

BANGKOK — Long-shot efforts to find survivors from Myanmar's devastating March 28 earthquake were winding down on Monday, as rescue efforts were supplanted by increasing relief and recovery activity. The death toll surpassed 3,600 and was still climbing.

A situation report issued on Monday by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said more than 17.2 million people are living in the affected areas, and urgently need food, drinking water, healthcare, cash assistance and emergency shelter.

In the capital Nay Pyi Daw, people cleared debris and collected wood from their damaged houses under drizzling rain, and soldiers removed wreckage at some Buddhist monasteries.

Myanmar Fire Services Department said on Monday that rescue teams had recovered 10 bodies from the rubble of a collapsed building in Mandalay, Myanmar's second-biggest city.

It said international rescuers from Singapore, Malaysia and India had returned to their countries after their work to find survivors was considered completed. The number of rescue teams operating in the residential areas of Nay Pyi Daw has been steadily decreasing.

The magnitude 7.9 quake hit a wide swath of the country, causing significant damage to six regions and states. The earthquake left many areas without power, telephone or cell connections and damaged roads and bridges, making the full extent of the devastation hard to assess.

Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the State Administration Council, said on Monday that the quake's death toll has reached 3,600, with 5,017 injured and 160 missing. Search and rescue operations involved 1,738 personnel from 20 countries, and had helped find and extract 653 survivors, he said.

The quake has been officially named the Big Mandalay Earthquake to ensure consistency in future documentation and referencing, he added. Previous significant earthquakes also received official names.

The UN report said: "Entire communities have been upended, forcing people to seek shelter in makeshift conditions, disrupting markets, worsening psychosocial distress and bringing essential services — including running water, sanitation and health — to the verge of collapse.

"People left homeless by the earthquakes are exposed to extreme heat during the country's hottest and driest month of the year, and rains have already started in Mandalay — posing an additional threat to those sheltering in the open."

Agencies via Xinhua

They risked their lives to pull out nine people trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings and guided many others to safety, but that is not the count they keep. 

For members of the Chinese teams that assisted in rescue and relief efforts in Myanmar, after a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the Southeast Asian country on March 28, it is the number of people they could not save, despite doing their best, that matters more.

As 54 Chinese rescuers returned as heroes on Sunday from Yangon, the largest city of Myanmar, to Kunming in Southwest China's Yunnan province, after a week of demonstrating extraordinary courage and endurance, their hearts still bleed for the victims of the quake.

Chen Ying, a member of the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team, said her deepest regret was not being able to save a person trapped under the rubble of a building, because an excavator needed for the rescue could not reach the site on time.

Chen was among the 17 Chinese Red Cross rescuers who arrived in Yangon on March 30. They engaged in search and rescue operations and provided medical aid and emotional support for earthquake survivors in Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar.

"In this rescue mission, the most heartbreaking and regretful moment for me was at location 107. We went there three times, and had all our supplies ready. The team was determined to save one of the three individuals trapped under the building, because there were definite signs of life," she said.

Unfortunately, the Chinese rescuers failed to receive heavy equipment support on time, and it was too late by the time they did. "We felt a surge of pain when the body was brought out. It is a regret we will have to live with," she added.

Besides the Chinese Red Cross team, a 37-member rescue and medical team from Yunnan also returned on Sunday. It was the first international rescue team to arrive in Myanmar within 18 hours of the earthquake. The team carried out rescue operations and actively assisted Myanmar in developing infectious disease prevention plans in the quake-hit areas.

Both teams were warmly welcomed upon their arrival in Kunming on Sunday afternoon. While the flight crew paid a special tribute to the heroes in a cabin broadcast, local people greeted them with rounds of applause. 

In addition to these two teams, Chinese civil squads such as the Blue Sky Rescue Team — the largest nongovernmental humanitarian organization in China — played a key role in rescue and relief efforts in Myanmar. 

"Our team members from across China volunteered to join the rescue operations. ... They arrived in Myanmar from places such as Beijing, Tianjin and Jiangsu province at their own expense," said Xu Jingxia, a member of the Blue Sky Rescue Team.

"We carried out the first round of search and rescue within the critical 72 hours, and continued for another two to three days under the scorching 40 C temperature," Xu said, adding that the whole team returned from Myanmar on Monday.

Myanmar's State Administration Council Chairman Min Aung Hlaing, who visited the camp of Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay on Sunday, said the prompt arrival of rescuers from China exemplified the profound fraternal friendship between the two countries.

Chinese rescue teams have extensive experience in cross-border search and rescue operations, and Myanmar looks forward to strengthening communication with China to expand cooperation in emergency response, disaster prevention and mitigation efforts, he added.

Contact the writers at xunuo@chinadaily.com.cn

YANGON -- The death toll from the devastating earthquake in Myanmar has climbed to 3,645, with 5,017 people injured and 148 still missing, as of 6 pm local time on Tuesday, according to a statement from the State Administration Council's Information Team.

After reporting for five days from earthquake-hit Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar, I arrived in Yangon, the capital, on Saturday night, when the news of a rainstorm hitting Mandalay popped up on my phone.

At the same time, I received a video message from the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team, the members of which are still at the forefront of post-disaster relief efforts in Mandalay. The video clip showed heavy rainfall and strong winds bringing down tents and a Chinese rescue worker shouting, "Evacuate immediately, do not try to secure the tents!"

Tons of relief materials freshly transported from China were stacked under these tents. Brave volunteers were trying to save the supplies, disregarding their own safety in the storm. For them, it was duty — a continuation of their work there.

Since the magnitude 7.9 earthquake rocked Myanmar on March 28, hundreds of rescue team members and volunteers from China have rushed to Mandalay to assist in rescue and relief operations.

On Friday, the Chinese teams completed the first phase of intense rescue efforts and shifted their focus to post-disaster relief work, including distributing relief supplies and setting up resettlement areas for survivors.

With the support of the local government, rows of tents were swiftly erected by the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team. At the same time, waste management efforts and the construction of temporary toilets, roads and fire exits were underway, all of which embodied what is popularly called "China speed".

As the scorching 40 C heat in Mandalay sapped energy on Friday, Sun Huamao, head of the tent construction team, said: "It's too hot. The team has been conducting search and rescue operations for several days. Everyone is exhausted."

However, they can't take a break. Not yet. As aftershocks and storms still threaten quake survivors sleeping on the streets, the resettlement areas must be ready without delay. To facilitate the work of the Chinese teams, many local residents are providing vehicles and provisional accommodations.

Zhu Hongzhan, a local jade merchant and member of the Myanmar Yunnan (China) Chamber of Commerce in Mandalay, was among those who volunteered to work with the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team. Over the past week, many of his co-workers from the chamber of commerce, who are all descendants of Chinese immigrants, have provided the first landing point and transit station for the rescue teams from China.

Zhu's 92-year-old mother told me: "I've experienced a lot in my life — wars, floods, coups, fires, earthquakes. The disasters may ruin everything we have, but we must always have the courage to keep on living."

The old woman is one of the locals I believe I will remember for a long time. The other is a 7-year-old girl, with whom my colleague, photographer Wei Xiaohao, spent some time playing soccer.

After one of their games, the little girl told me, "It's a happy day." When I asked her why, she replied, "Playing ball with Chinese people." I asked, "Are you friends (with Wei) now?" She said, "Yes."

When Wei told the girl we were leaving on Saturday, she didn't say a word, but hugged us tightly.

I hope all these people will continue to live on with courage and be safe.

Xu Nuo in Beijing contributed to this story.

YANGON -- The death toll from Myanmar's earthquake reached 3,564 as of Sunday evening, the Information Team of Myanmar's State Administration Council reported.

In addition, 5,012 people were injured and 210 remained missing due to the earthquake.

Myanmar's State Administration Council Chairman Min Aung Hlaing visited the camp of Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay on Sunday to express his gratitude to all members of the China Search and Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team and a rescue team from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for their full-force disaster response following the magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck on March 28.

The arrival of Chinese rescue teams to provide support from afar exemplified the profound "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship between the two countries, Min Aung Hlaing said.

Chinese rescue teams have extensive experience in cross-border search and rescue operations, and Myanmar looks forward to strengthening communication with China to expand cooperation in emergency response, disaster prevention and mitigation efforts, he added.

As of Sunday night, the earthquake has killed 3,564 people and injured 5,012 in Myanmar, and 210 were still missing, China Central Television quoted local authorities as saying. Chinese rescue teams had successfully rescued nine survivors.

On Saturday night, heavy rain and strong winds battered Mandalay, but China's rescue teams persisted on the front line of earthquake relief efforts.

At around 8 pm on Saturday, the Mandalay and Sagaing regions, which were hit hardest by the earthquake, experienced severe rainfall and strong winds.

With the ongoing threat of aftershocks and the safety hazards posed by damaged buildings, a large number of local residents had to set up temporary shelters in open spaces and along main roads, according to Myanmar media.

A Chinese rescue team member in Mandalay said on  early Sunday that the rain had stopped, but the roads were severely flooded. The wind had been extremely fierce before the rain, blowing over many of the temporary tents.

A video from Chinese rescue workers in Mandalay showed the heavy rainfall and strong winds causing tents to sway dangerously before quickly collapsing in the powerful wind. People were seen rushing for cover in the pouring rain, with a Chinese man urgently shouting: "Evacuate immediately, do not try to secure the tents!"

The extreme weather has also caused power outages in several areas where electricity had just been restored.

Despite the stormy conditions, Chinese rescue teams carried on their work.

Xu Jingxia, a member of the Blue Sky Rescue Team from China, who had arranged buses for Chinese rescue teams in Yangon soon after the earthquake, traveled to Mandalay with fellow rescuers on Saturday upon hearing of the storm.

Chinese rescue teams braved the rain to set up tents for local residents, said Xu. "The situation here is still OK — at least everyone is safe. I hope everyone will rest assured."

Yu Birong, a resident in Mandalay who volunteered to work with the Chinese Red Cross International Emergency Response Team after the quake, expressed gratitude that the team had set up tents in the relocation area, which allowed people to stay safe amid Saturday's storm.

Zhu Hongzhan, a member of the Mandalay branch of the Myanmar Yunnan (China) Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer with the Chinese Red Cross response team, said, "The unity and strength of the Chinese people have provided great help and encouragement to everyone, giving us the confidence to overcome this difficult situation."

The Myanmar Department of Meteorology and Hydrology issued a warning for potential heavy rainfall nationwide on Sunday and Monday, advising the public to remain vigilant for extreme weather conditions such as strong winds, thunderstorms and hail.

Chinese rescue and medical teams in Mandalay have also warned local people to be cautious of the risk of the transmission and outbreak of infectious diseases including dengue fever, a mosquito-borne illness.

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Myanmar's State Administration Council Chairman Min Aung Hlaing visited the camp of Chinese rescue teams in Mandalay on Sunday to thank them for their assistance in post-earthquake relief efforts, China's Ministry of Emergency Management said.

Min Aung Hlaing expressed gratitude for the full-scale support provided by Chinese rescuers, who traveled a long distance to help. He said their efforts demonstrated the strong friendship between the two countries.

He noted that Chinese rescue teams have extensive experience in international search and rescue operations and said Myanmar looks forward to strengthening communication and expanding cooperation with China in emergency response and disaster mitigation.

The camp houses the China Search and Rescue Team, the China International Search and Rescue Team, and a rescue team from Hong Kong.

As of Sunday, Chinese rescue teams had saved nine survivors following the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28.

KUNMING -- A 37-member rescue and medical team from Southwest China's Yunnan province returned from Myanmar on Sunday afternoon, after completing their earthquake relief work.

A 7.9-magnitude quake struck Myanmar on March 28. At around 6:30 am Beijing time on March 29, the team from Yunnan province, which borders Myanmar, took off from Kunming -- Yunnan's capital city -- to the quake-stricken areas in Myanmar boarding a flight, carrying with them life detectors, seismic warning systems, portable satellite telephones and drones.

As the first Chinese rescue team to arrive in Myanmar, they immediately joined forces with local firefighters and rescuers to carry out rescue and medical operations in the severely-affected Naypyidaw, which lasted for over 150 hours.

At 5 am March 30 local time, the team, joined by local forces, rescued an elderly person who had been trapped for nearly 40 hours at a local hospital.

A China Media Group report said on Wednesday that more than 500 Chinese rescue workers were in Myanmar for rescue and relief missions, all together. As of Thursday, Chinese rescue teams had successfully saved nine survivors from the quake-affected areas.

YANGON - The death toll from Myanmar's 7.9-magnitude earthquake rose to 3,471 as of Saturday, the state-run daily The Mirror reported on Sunday.

According to the report, the earthquake has also injured 4,671 people and left 214 missing as of Saturday.

It added that local and international rescue organizations had rescued 653 people trapped in buildings after the earthquake, and 682 bodies had been retrieved from the rubble.

At noon on Saturday, the third batch of emergency humanitarian earthquake relief supplies provided by the Chinese government arrived in Yangon, Myanmar, China Central Television reported.

This batch includes 1,048 water purification devices, 10,000 mosquito nets, 15,000 first aid kits, and 400 tents.

The first two batches of China's humanitarian aid arrived in Myanmar on Monday and Thursday, respectively, and have already been distributed to the disaster-affected residents.

In addition, Chinese rescue forces, including the Chinese International Rescue and Search and the China Rescue and Search, have jointly carried out medical outreach activities in Mandalay, Myanmar.

As of 8 pm on Friday, the 7.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28 has left 3,354 dead and 4,508 injured, and 220 missing, according to CCTV News.

Starting from Friday, the post-earthquake rescue efforts in Myanmar have entered the stages of epidemic prevention and control, as well as recovery and reconstruction.

UNITED NATIONS - The United Nations and its humanitarian partners continue to assess and mobilize aid to support people affected by the devastating earthquake in Myanmar.

More than 25 search-and-rescue teams are working in the country, medical teams and supplies have been deployed, and water and shelter kits have been distributed in the regions affected, a UN spokesman said at a daily briefing on Friday.

On Thursday, more than 30 tons of medical supplies arrived in Myanmar, bringing the total to 100 tons since the earthquakes struck last week, he said.

In Mandalay, the epicenter of the earthquake and Myanmar's second-largest city, humanitarian workers on Tuesday provided food and cash assistance to more than 10,000 people. On Monday, over 20,000 people received cash in Mandalay and other areas.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCHR) has deployed emergency relief including plastic sheets and kitchen sets for 25,000 survivors in Mandalay, Sagaing and Bago, as well as the capital Nay Pyi Taw and Shan State, according to the agency.

The health response also continues, with three tons of medical supplies delivered to hospitals in Mandalay and Nay Pyi Taw. Nearly 30 field medical stations have been established in the most affected areas.

Water trucking operations have begun in Nay Pyi Taw, serving approximately 45,000 people, UN humanitarians said. More than 20 latrines have been constructed in displacement sites in Mandalay.

Assessments from multiple UN agencies have showed widespread destruction across central Myanmar to critical infrastructure, including health facilities, road networks and bridges, after a 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck the country last week. UNHCHR estimated that in Mandalay, up to 80 percent of structures have collapsed.

Dozens of aftershocks continue, deepening people's fear and complicating humanitarian response efforts.

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) reported that electricity and water supplies remain disrupted, worsening access to health services and heightening risks of waterborne and foodborne disease outbreaks.

Increasing cases of acute watery diarrhoea were reported among people in displacement sites in Mandalay and Sagaing, along with dozens of cases of heat-related illness.

Humanitarians said that people affected need urgent healthcare and medical supplies, drinking water, food and other critical items. Tents and temporary shelter are also needed, as well as latrines and hygiene items.

The United Nations called for the international community to immediately step up funding to Myanmar, and ensure rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to reach those most in need across the country.

"Our humanitarian colleagues are preparing a new appeal aligned with the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan, which calls for $1.1 billion as needs continue to outpace available supplies and response capacity," the UN spokesman said. "So far, less than 5 percent of this appeal has been received."