MSF Myanmar: People remain displaced post-quake in southern Shan State

More than a month after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that hit Myanmar on 28 March, the people of Inle Lake in southern Shan State are still living through its devastating aftermath.

Many of those displaced are staying in overcrowded houses, tents and makeshift shelters on patches of dry land around the shore. Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) teams are responding at four villages on Inle Lake, restoring drinking water supplies, providing building materials and non-food item essentials to affected communities.

For generations, communities on this scenic lake in the Shan Hills of Myanmar have lived on the water in traditional wood and bamboo stilt houses. The earthquake caused widespread destruction, with up to 90% of houses in some villages on the lake damaged or destroyed. Some residents had terrifying escapes when their homes collapsed into the water around them. Many boats were also damaged in the earthquake, affecting people’s livelihoods and mobility. Drinking water supplies have been disrupted, and reconstruction efforts are complicated by access issues and the rising prices of materials. Communities on the lake are also at risk from floods, especially during the rainy season. Heavy flooding in September 2024 hit some of these villages particularly hard. And concerns are growing about the approaching monsoon season.