When a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Central Myanmar on 28 March, it devastated an already fragile environment. More than 3,500 lives were lost, and thousands were injured or left without shelter, electricity, or clean water.
Damage to roads and airports created serious access impediments, delaying first responders and international search and rescue teams from reaching affected communities, many of whom were already in hard-to-reach areas.
Even now, aftershocks continue to ripple across the region.
The Department of Safety and Security (DSS) immediately activated its crisis response protocols. Within hours, DSS Myanmar conducted headcounts, issued safety advisories, and coordinated movement. Within days, DSS Headquarters activated surge protocols to support the country office’s response.
At the same time, the Emergency Response Team embedded a Security Coordination Officer into the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team in the earthquake-affected areas.
Speed, Coordination, and Access
The scale of the UN response was significant. They deployed a 31-member United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team to Mandalay, Naypyidaw, and Yangon, while UN agencies began scaling up operations.
Four additional DSS personnel were deployed to support the country office.
For DSS, the challenge was twofold: managing immediate risks from aftershocks, damaged infrastructure, and limited communications, while also enabling the safe passage of UNDAC Team members and other UN and NGO responders, into areas with minimal prior access.
Embedding DSS within the UNDAC Team provided tailored security support, significantly enhanced coordination with the country office, streamlined inter-agency planning, and reinforced overall operational cohesion.
Crucially, the HQ emergency response deployment was not a standalone effort; it supported an already strong local operation.
As Brian Laguardia, Security Coordination Officer with the Emergency Response Team, emphasized: “Anything we say about the Emergency Response Team deployment must be framed as a continuation and reinforcement of the extraordinary efforts already underway by the country office. They were already doing the heavy lifting - we came in to support and help scale up.”
Sustaining Presence, Enabling Recovery
Myanmar now faces the dual challenge of widespread devastation and the looming monsoon season, and the humanitarian needs are only growing.
Yet, the early days of the response laid a foundation for what comes next. This response is a reminder that security enables the UN to be present and deliver life-saving programmes.
