The fallout from the earthquake that shook Myanmar is being complicated by damage to the country's infrastructure and communication networks, a UN agency has said, as the country faces a huge economic bill from the disaster.
The 7.7-magnitude tremor has stalled internet services, disrupted airport operations and damaged roads, making it difficult to assess needs and the overall situation, the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in its latest update.
“The earthquake caused widespread destruction of homes and severe damage to critical infrastructure,” the New York-based Ocha said.
It said that major bridges, roads, hotels and public service buildings in urban and rural areas have been “heavily damaged or destroyed”. In addition, commercial flights at Mandalay International Airport have been suspended until further notice.
The US Geological Survey said earlier that estimated economic losses may exceed the gross domestic product of the South-East Asian nation as the death toll from the disaster rises.
The Virginia-based USGS predicted that fatalities could rise to anywhere between 10,000 and 100,000, based on its modelling, because “high casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread”, it said on its website.
Myanmar’s GDP is estimated at $65 billion in 2025, according to the International Monetary Fund.
The earthquake hit Myanmar’s second biggest city, Mandalay, on Friday, killing least 1,644 people and injuring more than 3,400, with numbers projected to rise, according to latest figures from the country’s military government.
The tremors also shook neighbouring Thailand, where a building under construction collapsed in the capital, Bangkok.
Thai authorities said 17 people have been killed and dozens either injured or missing at three building sites in the city, including a 30-storey building where more than 80 people were trapped under rubble.
Myanmar is in the midst of an economic crisis sparked by an armed conflict, with people taking up arms against the military junta that seized power in a coup in 2021.
Heavy floods in September caused further damage to the country’s economy and infrastructure, displacing thousands of people, according to a World Bank report in December.
“The kyat [Myanmar's currency] lost 40 per cent of its value against the US dollar on parallel markets over the first eight months of 2024,” the World Bank said. “While the exchange rate subsequently stabilised, inflation remains elevated due to the lagged pass-through effects, as well as domestic supply and logistics disruptions caused by conflict and Typhoon Yagi.”
Several public infrastructure projects have been delayed as the economy continues to suffer amid the unrest and natural disasters.
“A further escalation in conflict … or another severe natural disaster could depress output across a range of sectors,” the World Bank said.
It projected the country’s economy would contract by 1 per cent in the 2024-2025 fiscal year, after recording growth of 1 per cent during the previous fiscal year.
The UN Development Programme in a separate report in January said the country was facing an unprecedented “polycrisis” marked by economic collapse, intensifying conflict, complex climate hazards and deepening poverty four years after the military coup.
“If current trends continue, poverty will rise further, migration will intensify and the country’s fragile economy will struggle under the weight of continued conflict and international isolation,” the UN report warned.
Since 2020, Myanmar’s GDP has contracted by nine per cent, reversing the economic progress of the previous decade, it added.
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
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THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
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Torque: 147Nm
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WHAT IS GRAPHENE?
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were experimenting with sticky tape and graphite, the material used as lead in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But when they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
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Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
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Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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MATCH INFO
Who: France v Italy
When: Friday, 11pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Stars: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone
Four out of five stars
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The specs: 2018 Jaguar E-Pace First Edition
Price, base / as tested: Dh186,480 / Dh252,735
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Torque: 365Nm @ 1,200rpm
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The biog
DOB: 25/12/92
Marital status: Single
Education: Post-graduate diploma in UAE Diplomacy and External Affairs at the Emirates Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi
Hobbies: I love fencing, I used to fence at the MK Fencing Academy but I want to start again. I also love reading and writing
Lifelong goal: My dream is to be a state minister
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Tax authority targets shisha levy evasion
The Federal Tax Authority will track shisha imports with electronic markers to protect customers and ensure levies have been paid.
Khalid Ali Al Bustani, director of the tax authority, on Sunday said the move is to "prevent tax evasion and support the authority’s tax collection efforts".
The scheme’s first phase, which came into effect on 1st January, 2019, covers all types of imported and domestically produced and distributed cigarettes. As of May 1, importing any type of cigarettes without the digital marks will be prohibited.
He said the latest phase will see imported and locally produced shisha tobacco tracked by the final quarter of this year.
"The FTA also maintains ongoing communication with concerned companies, to help them adapt their systems to meet our requirements and coordinate between all parties involved," he said.
As with cigarettes, shisha was hit with a 100 per cent tax in October 2017, though manufacturers and cafes absorbed some of the costs to prevent prices doubling.
