SINGAPORE – Singapore will contribute $150,000 as seed money to support Singapore Red Cross’ (SRC) fund-raising efforts in Myanmar and Thailand, said Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan on March 30, after a massive earthquake rocked both countries.
Dr Balakrishnan also expressed Singapore’s deepest condolences for the significant loss of lives and damage in Myanmar and Thailand.
“Singapore stands in solidarity with Asean during this difficult time,” he said in a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after attending the Special Emergency Meeting of Asean Foreign Ministers in the Aftermath of the Earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand.
“Singapore will continue to monitor developments closely, and work with our partners in Asean to assist those affected by the earthquake,” he added.
The meeting was convened by Asean chair Malaysia, and conducted virtually.
The 7.7-magnitude quake on March 28 has killed more than 1,600 people in Myanmar and at least 17 in neighbouring Thailand, with the death toll expected to increase.
Following the quake, the SRC on March 29 pledged $150,000 to support emergency relief efforts in Myanmar and Thailand. It was followed by a public fund-raising appeal on March 30.
Dr Balakrishnan also supported the proposal for Asean to further expand its assistance to the countries affected, as coordinated by the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre).
He said Singapore has deployed an 80-member Operation Lionheart contingent to help disaster rescue efforts in Myanmar, and sent three officers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force as part of the Asean Emergency Response and Assessment Team under the auspices of AHA Centre.
Dr Balakrishnan also called for an immediate and effective ceasefire in Myanmar, which would facilitate the efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance and longer-term national reconciliation, peace and reconstruction.
Myanmar was already in chaos with a civil war that has escalated since a 2021 military coup, which ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, and sparked a nationwide armed uprising.
The fighting has battered the country, displaced more than 3.5 million people and left essential services, such as healthcare, in tatters.
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