Toronto organizations try to get relief to Myanmar earthquake survivors

Ethan Lang · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 31, 2025 6:27 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Three days aft a large earthquake deed Southeast Asia, levelling buildings and sidesplitting thousands, organizations successful Toronto are scrambling to get assistance to survivors successful the region.

The epicentre of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake was located adjacent Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, but was felt astir the state and successful neighbouring nations. Survivors were inactive being pulled retired of the rubble Monday, but the decease toll has present climbed past 2,000 people.

Toronto organizations are appealing to Canadians to assistance rapidly get assistance to the region.

The Burma Buddhist Association of Ontario (BBAO) has been taking donations from its spiritual assemblage to walk connected to alleviation efforts connected the ground. But erstwhile president Koko Kyi says the earthquake was truthful damaging, the enactment is present appealing to each Ontarians to rise much funds, and launching a GoFundMe page.

Kyi, who is from Myanmar, says helium and members of BBAO have been trying to find ways they could assistance since they awoke to quality of the earthquake Saturday morning.

"I found, truthful galore messages connected my telephone each talking astir the earthquake," helium said. "When I checked the net and the websites, we were truly devastated to find this damage."

Kyi says harm successful Myanmar has made it hard to transport supplies, and BBAO is inactive trying to find boots connected the crushed who tin get assistance to wherever it's astir needed.

"If possible, we would similar to usage a section alleviation organization, due to the fact that they cognize the area, they cognize the radical and truthful forth," Kyi said, adding that they are besides considering sending the funds they rise to planetary organizations successful the affected areas.

"Hopefully, they volition beryllium capable to entree those devastated areas and supply the assistance which is needed," helium said.

Rahul Singh, enforcement manager astatine Global Medic, says his enactment has sent drones to affected areas to assistance measure the damage. He says galore roads astir Mandalay are severely damaged, and an airdrome successful the country was besides hit. 

Global Medic has besides offered h2o purifiers to radical connected the crushed to assistance supply cleanable drinking water.

Singh says he's acrophobic Canadians whitethorn find it hard to springiness arsenic a commercialized warfare with the U.S. threatens to rise the outgo of living, but he's hopeful.

"A batch of radical question done that region, truthful I deliberation the radical successful Toronto volition privation to help," Singh said. "Right now, we cognize radical are successful trouble, and we're offering the close assistance to get successful and get radical cleanable drinking water."

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