Home to more than 50 million people, Myanmar (Burma) shares borders with Bangladesh, China, Laos, India and Thailand. Myanmar’s people comprise more than 130 ethnic nationalities and speak more than 100 languages and dialects.

Since gaining independence from British rule in 1948, the country’s politics have been dominated by military regimes. Myanmar is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia and among the most vulnerable globally to the climate crisis.

A Country in Crisis

After a period of democratization, beginning in 2010, the military again seized power in February 2021. The escalation of conflict across the country has triggered a humanitarian crisis.

The people of Myanmar are enduring unimaginable hardships. More than three million people are displaced, half of them children. More than 18 million people, including at least 6 million children, need humanitarian assistance.

Myanmar’s economy is in freefall. Millions of people across Myanmar now struggle to access essential needs such as health care, safe water, shelter, and adequate nutrition. Nearly half of the country’s population lives below the national poverty line, with another quarter close to the edge. One-fifth is grappling with acute food insecurity, placing Myanmar among the world’s ten most severe food crises.

March 2025 Earthquake

On March 28, 2025, a deadly earthquake struck Myanmar causing widespread destruction. At least 3,000 people have died and thousand more injured, with overwhelmed hospitals declaring mass casualty events and struggling to treat the injured. The casualty toll is expected to rise.

Affected communities need urgent emergency relief including emergency medical care, shelter, food and hygiene supplies. Community Partners International’s teams and local partners on the ground are mobilizing to rapidly deploy lifesaving aid to people in need.

How You Can Help

Your gift to Community Partners International empowers communities in Myanmar affected by war, poverty, and climate change to meet their essential needs.

Our network of community partners on the ground, nurtured over more than 25 years, is delivering lifesaving aid where it’s needed most, and helping communities build resilient systems to serve them long into the future.

Your support rushes lifesaving humanitarian relief to families caught in conflict and natural disasters. You also help communities develop and access health care and nutrition, safe water, hygiene and sanitation, food security and livelihoods, renewable energy, and more.