When the earthquake struck on 28 March 2025 in Myanmar, Khin Phyu Wai, a Project Facilitator with the Myanmar Independent Living Initiative (MILI), experienced the immediate challenges faced by women with disabilities. Although she was far from the epicentre, the quake shook the building she was in, and finding her crutch became critical for escape. Many others around her fled without considering the needs of people with disabilities, highlighting the compounded risks they face in emergencies.
An estimated 4.8 million women and girls were affected, and for those with disabilities, the earthquake exacerbated physical, social, and economic vulnerabilities. A Rapid Gender Analysis coordinated by UN Women revealed that humanitarian aid often failed to consider people unable to stand in queues or leave their homes, and information was rarely accessible to those with physical or sensory disabilities. Even a year later, survivors remain traumatized, reacting to everyday sounds with panic and fear.
Many individuals who acquired disabilities during the earthquake face not only physical challenges but also social stigma, grief, and economic loss. Some, like former business owners, have withdrawn entirely, struggling to accept their new circumstances. Economic devastation destroyed livelihoods, crops, and essential services, disproportionately affecting people with disabilities whose income sources are among the first to vanish in disaster settings.
MILI has responded by providing psychosocial support, cash assistance, and assistive devices. For example, 13-year-old Ma Phoo Phoo Zaw, previously dependent on her father to attend school, received a wheelchair that allowed her independence and improved her participation in education. Such interventions demonstrate the importance of accessible support and the transformative impact of assistive devices.
One year on, MILI emphasizes the need for sustained psychosocial support, accessible assistive devices, and an inclusive humanitarian system that involves people with disabilities from planning to recovery. As Thae Thae Mar, MILI’s Programme Manager, notes, people with disabilities have human rights that must be respected, and their inclusion from the outset is essential to ensure they are not left behind.
MILI continues to advocate for and support people with disabilities across Myanmar, working with UN Women to strengthen inclusion, resilience, and recovery in disaster-affected communities.
