Peter Waddup, CEO - The Leprosy Mission Great Britain

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The timing of Myanmar's 7.7 magnitude earthquake on 28 March was seemingly a blessing.

It was just a day after Armed Forces Day (also known as Revolution Day) was celebrated in the war-torn country. It meant that international journalists were in the country for the annual festivities. These mark the start of the Burmese Army's resistance to Japanese occupation in 1945.

Since seizing power in 2021, the ruling military have imposed strict restrictions on the press. Yet because of the fortuitous timing, the world was able to hear of the devastation the quake caused.

It sounds ludicrous saying 'fortuitous' timing with a death toll of more than 3,500. But thanks to the international presence, international reporting could happen. This soon escalated into an international relief effort. It was simply impossible to hush up such a colossal disaster.

If an earthquake of this magnitude hit the UK, it would not become secondary to anything else for a very long time. Certainly not in a matter of weeks. So I find it deeply troubling how quickly the priority has reverted to surviving the civil war. This is the case in the communities in which we serve in the area surrounding the epicentre of Sagaing.

Four years after the military coup, fighting between the army and the People’s Defence Force remains intense. The Junta agreed to halting its military campaign in the aftermath of the earthquake. But within days bomb attacks were widespread.

If you look at the UK news websites, this is pretty much where post-earthquake reporting ends. There has been no news for over a month on Myanmar's recovery from such a catastrophic disaster. This is despite high-profile fundraising in the UK to support its 17 million victims.

I am so grateful to be able to break through the sinister silence and speak to my colleagues on the ground. Life in Mandalay, the city nearest to the epicentre of the earthquake, is tough. My colleagues are delivering emergency food parcels to vulnerable communities in Mandalay, Hpa Do and Taungoo. Thanks to our incredible supporters, they have also been able to provide clean drinking water, repair homes, and give medical care. My colleagues’ plan is to help 3,060 vulnerable households recover from the earthquake.

With the conflict's frontline ever shifting, Mandalay is under military control. Yet the northern part of the city falls under the democratic forces. It is hearing of the lives of people living in this area that truly breaks my heart. Not only have their fragile homes been shaken violently in the earthquake but mere survival is becoming ever harder.

It is incredibly difficult for people living in the leprosy village of Nant Thar Myaing to find food. With road blockades in place, Daw Myo, pictured, now needs to cross the Ayeyarwady River to buy basic supplies. Even if her disabilities caused by leprosy didn't stop her from doing this, her budget does.

People like Daw Myo, aged 45 yet already a widow, are not benefiting from international aid assistance. It pains me to say it but if it wasn't for our supporters I'm not sure how they would even survive. It just shows how fragile life is. And how seemingly unfair that someone like Daw Myo would need to endure so much.

Meanwhile our medical teams have been treating victims of both the earthquake and the conflict. Another lady in the leprosy village was caught up in a bomb explosion while visiting the village of Let Pan Hla, 18 miles north of Nant Thar Myaing. She lost most of her calf muscle in the bombing. Thankfully, she was able to have surgery at a makeshift camp to save her leg.

It is difficult to even comprehend the hardships people are enduring on calls like these. My heart and my prayers go to the people living in these bomb-blasted and earthquake shaken communities. And my deepest gratitude to those donating to help keep them alive and make their lives bearable. To feel loved from afar at such a time must bring some comfort.

Daw Myo is disabled because of leprosy and has been helped with emergency supplies in the aftermath of the earthquake. Without such help she would struggle to survive. She wants to convey her gratitude to Leprosy Mission supporters. She says, “my gratitude is beyond what I can express.”