A humanitarian convoy carrying critical earthquake aid from China came under fire by Myanmar’s military junta, deepening concerns that the regime is weaponizing relief efforts amid a mounting death toll.
AT A GLANCE
- Myanmar’s junta fired warning shots at a Chinese Red Cross convoy delivering earthquake relief.
- A 7.7-magnitude quake has killed 2,886 and injured over 4,600 people, mainly in Sagaing.
- Despite a declared ceasefire, military strikes and checkpoints continue to block aid access.
- International donors, including the UN and Australia, are struggling to bypass junta interference.
- Local groups are secretly distributing aid in resistance-held areas at great personal risk.
Junta Blocks Aid Amid Quake Devastation
Myanmar’s military junta admitted to firing warning shots at a Chinese Red Cross aid convoy en route to deliver supplies to earthquake-stricken areas, underscoring the regime’s ongoing obstruction of humanitarian efforts. According to NBC News, the convoy was reportedly traveling through contested territory without prior clearance, as stated by military officials. The altercation unfolded just days after a massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar, killing nearly 3,000 people and injuring over 4,600, with the Sagaing region suffering the worst damage.
The military’s response to the disaster has drawn intense scrutiny, with humanitarian organizations describing a nightmarish aid environment marred by roadblocks, curfews, and widespread checkpoints. The Sagaing region, in particular, lies along the fault line of the country’s political chaos—divided between junta control and anti-coup resistance forces—making relief efforts perilous and delayed.
Ceasefire in Name Only
On April 2, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing announced a 21-day ceasefire, claiming it would facilitate disaster relief and recovery. However, ground reports indicate continued military activity, including airstrikes and attacks on rebel-held areas. As reported by the BBC, rescue workers described how “roads were blocked, the checkpoints were really long,” and curfews made rescue logistics virtually impossible.
This pattern aligns with long-standing concerns from human rights advocates. As Bryony Lau of Human Rights Watch stated, “Myanmar’s junta cannot be trusted to respond to a disaster of this scale.” The military’s history of restricting aid to resistance areas—while consolidating control through selective relief—has complicated international involvement.
Watch coverage of the earthquake aftermath and aid blockade.
Global Response Tries to Sidestep Military
The international community has been scrambling to offer aid without legitimizing the military regime. The United Nations has allocated $12 million in emergency assistance, estimating that over 28 million people could be impacted by the disaster. Australia has committed A$6.5 million in aid, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasizing that Canberra is taking “proactive steps to ensure our assistance does not legitimize the military regime in Myanmar.”
Meanwhile, Myanmar’s authorities in Mandalay—one of the cities hit hard by the quake—have come under fire for reportedly preparing for festivals rather than focusing on recovery. Journalists have also been blocked from entering the quake zones, making it difficult to verify the full extent of the damage or the success of rescue operations.
Grassroots Groups Bypass the Junta
Faced with official intransigence, local organizations have resorted to covert aid distribution. These efforts, while vital, are fraught with danger. In some cases, junta forces have used paramotors for aerial attacks in earthquake-affected zones, according to eyewitness accounts. Survivors likened the sound of the aircraft to chainsaws, describing scenes of chaos and fear in areas that should be receiving urgent medical and food assistance.
“You cannot ask for aid with one hand and bomb with the other,” one anonymous aid worker told Breitbart. These actions, critics argue, reflect the junta’s broader strategy of controlling both the narrative and the relief pipeline, even if it means worsening the suffering of civilians.
As the crisis deepens, international observers and rights groups are calling for robust mechanisms to deliver aid independently of the junta, ensuring that the millions in need aren’t held hostage by a regime that continues to use humanitarian access as a tool of control.
