Urgent Removal of at Least 2.5 Million Tonnes of Debris Needed in Myanmar Following Earthquake

Human Wrongs Watch

By the UN Development Programme*

New UNDP remote sensing analysis shows massive, immediate reconstruction is vital in Myanmar due to widespread damage to homes, hospitals, and critical infrastructure.

The new data from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), generated through remote sensing analysis (available here) highlights the extensive destruction caused by the recent magnitude 7.7 earthquake and underscores the urgent need for large-scale debris removal and repairs and reconstruction of critical infrastructure and homes as part of the ongoing recovery efforts.

Additionally, more than 10,000 homes and public service buildings may have been significantly damaged or destroyed.

Meanwhile 128 health facilities were exposed to severe or violent tremors, with high likelihood of significant damage or destruction as a result.

With fewer health facilities to serve the impacted population, concerns are mounting regarding the capacity to provide critical medical care in the aftermath.

Approximately 1.6 million buildings are in areas exposed to earthquake intensity level 7 or higher, according to the analysis. Level 7 shaking is classified as very strong, with a moderate risk of damage, which increases significantly at higher intensity levels.

Many of the exposed buildings were not designed to withstand such powerful seismic activity.

The UNDP analysis integrated advanced satellite-derived building damage classifications (destroyed, damaged, and possibly damaged) from UNOSAT and Copernicus with Microsoft’s building footprint data and building height and floor count data from the Global Human Settlement layer.

“The remote sensing paints a very concerning picture. It’s critical that we rapidly verify this remote sensing data on the ground. We need to get patients and the displaced back under solid roofs and start to repair critical infrastructure,” Titon Mitra, UNDP Resident Representative in Myanmar said from Sagaing, speaking while visiting the earthquake epicenter.

“Patients are now housed in carparks, exposed to 40-degree heat and heavy rains. Over 60,000 people are in temporary displacement sites, too fearful to return to their homes. Transport connectivity is impaired, and there is no functioning water supply.”

The remote sensing data enables UNDP to immediately target priority areas to support large-scale debris removal and recycling, deploying national engineers to undertake rapid structural assessments of public service buildings, critical infrastructure, and affected homes.

The assessments will inform the rehabilitation and reconstruction plans and implementation to follow.

“It’s a powerful visual tool that combines satellite imagery with local data to provide a clear, real-time picture of the disaster’s impact,” said Devanand Ramiah, Director of [R1] Crisis Readiness, Response, and Recovery, in UNDP’s Crisis Bureau.

“By integrating population estimates, building data, and damage analysis, responders can quickly identify the most affected areas and prioritize their efforts…

… This enhances decision-making, accelerates our response, and ensures that resources are directed where they’re needed most —saving time and costs  in the critical early stages of recovery.”

UNDP is calling for an urgently scaled-up international response to support comprehensive recovery and reconstruction. Recognizing the complexities of operating in a country in the midst of compounding crises, it is critical that these efforts extend to both urban and rural areas affected.

Urban centres such as Mandalay and Sagaing, which serve as vital commercial hubs, require swift interventions to facilitate the resumption of market activity.

Rural areas, require urgent infrastructure repair and rehabilitation of farms and production facilities to optimize the current rice harvest and to get agricultural produce to market quickly.

We now have the data; and must use it to move quickly from relief to recovery.

UNDP is committed to working with national and international partners to ensure a coordinated and effective response to the earthquake, with large-scale debris removal being a critical first step towards long-term recovery and building resilience in Myanmar.

Analysis and data is available here: Myanmar Earthquake: Understanding the Impact

*SOURCE: UN Development Programme. Go to ORIGINAL: https://www.undp.org/asia-pacific/press-releases/urgent-removal-least-25-million-tonnes-debris-needed-myanmar-following-earthquake-says-undp 2025 Human Wrongs Watch

Source: https://human-wrongs-watch.net/2025/04/21/urgent-removal-of-at-least-2-5-million-tonnes-of-debris-needed-in-myanmar-following-earthquake/