Two More Indian Navy Ships Sail For Quake-Hit Myanmar With Disaster Relief Supplies

Amid demands for international assistance, India launched ‘Operation Brahma‘ on Saturday to provide humanitarian aid to the quake-hit country. India has already sent two C-17 military aircraft with a field hospital and 118-member staff, along with essential items such as medicines and ready-to-eat food.

Taking to X, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said two Indian Navy ships – INS Karmuk and LCU 52 – were headed to Yangon carrying 30 tonnes of disaster relief and medical supplies.

India also dispatched INS Satpura and INS Savitri to the Yangon port on Saturday with 40 tonnes of humanitarian aid. India’s ambassador in Myanmar was in the capital Nay Pyi Taw to coordinate the relief efforts, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

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India Lends Helping Hand Amid Deepening Crisis

Myanmar has been reeling under a prolonged civil war, which has already caused a humanitarian crisis. The situation has made it both difficult and dangerous for movement around the country, hindering relief efforts and raising fears of a rise in the death toll.

After anti-coup fighters declared a partial ceasefire, international aid has started to trickle in, although it might be too late. The Indian Army first dispatched an aircraft carrying 15 tonnes of relief material. These material include tents, blankets, essential medicines, tarpaulins, sleeping bags, gensets, solar lamps, food packets and kitchen sets.

The second tranche of aid included 80 NDRF search and rescue team personnel and specialists, while the third comprised a field hospital with a team of specialists, doctors and medics. India shares a 1,643-kilometre-long border with Myanmar on the eastern side.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday and conveyed deepest condolences on behalf of the people and the Government of India for the loss of lives. He also conveyed that “we stand in solidarity with the government and the people of Myanmar and that we would do our best to provide relief, rescue and whatever assistance required to deal with this calamity".

What’s The Situation In Myanmar?

As rescue efforts continue in Myanmar, the smell of decaying bodies permeated the streets of Myanmar’s second-largest city on Sunday, according to the Associated Press. Bodies were seen rotting in the sun and survivors cried out for their loved ones as the impoverished nation was on the verge of collapse.

China has also sent 135 rescuers and $13.8 million worth of emergency relief. Russia, Singapore, and Malaysia have also offered assistance, but with roads impassable and airports disabled, getting supplies in has become a logistical nightmare.

The UN said that a severe lack of medical equipment is hindering Myanmar’s response to the quake, while aid agencies have warned that the country is unprepared to deal with a disaster of this magnitude. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies on Sunday launched an emergency appeal for more than $100 million to help victims.