The civil war in Myanmar runs deep. Even the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck on March 28 hasn’t stopped the military junta from bombing villages.
“It’s a multiplied crisis because of the coup that happened several years back. The military took over the nation, and they are still fighting an insurgency in the country,” says Joe Handley with A3.
“Some of the original governments, as well as [the] majority of people really don’t stand for this military. So the [earthquake] crisis is exacerbated because, sadly, the military is bombing their own people. They’re using the crisis as a cover to kill some of those insurgency players.”
The 7.7- and 6.5-magnitude quakes and aftershocks on Friday have killed at least 1,700 people, with hundreds still missing. The tremors reached even to neighboring Thailand, where at least 18 people in Bangkok lost their lives and dozens remain missing after a high rise under construction collapsed.
Responses to the disaster
Despite the devastation, the disaster has prompted a strong international response. Rescue teams from China, India, Russia, Thailand and more nations have arrived or will soon.
Handley says there’s also an incredible inter-faith response happening within Myanmar.
“You’ve got Catholics and Protestants, even Buddhist and Muslims banding together united to help the people. It’s kind of unheard of, really, in Myanmar’s history in many ways, to have all these faith communities working together,” he says.
Even with the help coming in, Myanmar’s situation is incredibly complex and the window for rescuing people trapped in the rubble is coming to an end. Pray for God’s mercy!
In that complexity, A3 is doing reconnaissance this week to identify whether they can get aid in. For now, Handley says, “my colleague from Myanmar is really praying that the global Church will rally behind the people and the churches of Myanmar.”
You can be part of that rallying through your prayers. Pray for power to be restored in the quake zones and for open channels for aid to get through to the people who need it, rather than other powers that be.
“Whenever we’re doing aid-related efforts — helping the needy, providing food, providing shelter, rescuing people — the center of it is faith in Christ. So as we’re reaching out, the churches keep that center stage,” Handley says.
Over the years, A3 local partners across the continent have responded to many disasters.
“Ever since [a tsunami crisis in Southeast Asia], the mutuality and trust of the A3 alumni network of churches across the spectrum — every evangelical kind of background you can imagine, denomination and independent groups — they learn from each other,” says Handley.
People that are interested can learn more about A3 here.
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This story originally appeared at Mission Network News and is republished here with permission.