S’pore Red Cross raises almost $1.5 million to help quake victims in Myanmar, Thailand

SINGAPORE – Close to $1.5 million has been raised to support relief and recovery operations in Myanmar and Thailand, after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocked both countries on March 28.

The Singapore Red Cross (SRC), which launched the fund-raising appeal on March 30,

also deployed 90 portable water filters to the cities of Mandalay and Sagaing in Myanmar on April 2. The quake’s epicentre was in Sagaing, which is about 240km north of Naypyitaw.

The quake

flattened buildings across Myanmar

, killing more than 2,700 people and displacing thousands more. The death toll is expected to rise.

In Bangkok, the collapse of a 30-storey skyscraper under construction killed at least 15 people, with 72 others believed to still be trapped under rubble. Across Thailand, the total death toll now stands at 22.

Mr Benjamin William, SRC’s secretary-general and chief executive, thanked Singaporeans for responding generously to the fund-raising appeal.

“The earthquake compounds an already dire humanitarian crisis caused by conflict, displacement and past disasters,” he said, adding that providing avenues to clean water will mitigate the risk of waterborne diseases.

SRC will also continue to reach out to the Myanmar and Thai migrant communities in Singapore and offer them psycho-social support, said Mr William.

SRC will host a walk-in community event on April 6 to offer mental health support to Singapore-based Myanmar and Thai migrants whose loved ones have been affected by the quake.

The event at Red Cross House in Penang Lane will feature mental health and psycho-social support activities, as well as provide psychological first aid, food, drinks and Wi-Fi for people to call home.

Myanmar volunteers will facilitate and support a tracing service to assist those in Singapore to locate their immediate family members in the affected countries, said SRC.

“The road ahead is long; much more will be required in the days and weeks ahead. We will press on in our response,” said Mr William.

The SRC fund-raising appeal will end on May 31. Donations can be made via credit card, PayNow, cheque or in person at Red Cross House from 9pm to 6pm from Mondays to Fridays.

Corporate and individual donors can claim 100 per cent tax deduction for their donations, said SRC.

Donations via credit card can be done on the Giving.sg website or the Red Cross donation portal.

Cheques must be made out to the “Singapore Red Cross Society” and mailed to Red Cross House, 15 Penang Lane, Singapore 238486.

Donors should include their name and address, and indicate “Myanmar & Thailand Earthquake” on the back of the cheque.