International organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), declared a top-tier emergency in response to the earthquake in Myanmar and requested urgent assistance.
According to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), the United Nations' WHO requested $8 million (about 11.7 billion won) in emergency funding on the 30th (local time). In a statement, the WHO noted, "We have classified the situation as a 'Level 3 emergency' in our emergency response system," adding that "there are many injured and trauma patients in Myanmar, and the medical environment is poor, increasing the risk of disease spread."
The statement continued, "The risk of disease outbreaks is growing due to interruptions in electricity and water supply and deteriorating medical accessibility," and "trauma patients are in a situation with a very high risk of infection and complications, so urgent medical support for treatment and infection prevention is needed." It was also said that "$8 million will be required for emergency medical assistance over the next 30 days."
The IFRC also announced that it has launched an emergency fundraising campaign of 100 million Swiss francs (about 166.9 billion won) to assist with the earthquake damage in Myanmar. In a statement on the same day, the IFRC said this fundraising campaign aims to provide life-saving aid and initial recovery support to 100,000 people (20,000 households) over the next 24 months.
Alexander Mathew, Director General of the IFRC Asia-Pacific, said, "This disaster is not just a natural calamity but a complex humanitarian crisis layered on existing vulnerabilities," adding that "Myanmar continues to experience internal displacement and food insecurity, and the situation has worsened due to this earthquake. The international community must provide bold and sustained support for this issue."
According to the IFRC, the IFRC Myanmar branch has mobilized volunteers to begin search and rescue operations, providing first aid and pre-hospital care, distributing emergency relief supplies such as blankets, tarpaulins, and hygiene kits, and deploying mobile health teams.
Both WHO and IFRC emphasized that the longer the delay, the greater the risk of worsening damage, making support urgent. WHO stated, "If immediate funding is not provided, more lives will be lost, and there is a significant risk of collapse of the already fragile health system." The IFRC noted, "With the temperature rising and the monsoon season approaching in a few weeks, urgent assistance is needed before a secondary crisis occurs."
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the estimated probability of the death toll from this earthquake exceeding 10,000 is 71%. The probability of it exceeding 100,000 is 36%, while the probability of it falling between 10,000 and 100,000 is estimated at 35%.