Samaritan’s Purse Canada responded to the deadly 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar and Thailand on March 28. It was followed just 12 minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock. This powerful quake caused widespread destruction across both countries – collapsing buildings and infrastructure, killing more than 1,700 people, and injuring countless more. The Ministry of Health in Myanmar requested assistance as tens of thousands are suffering.
In response, Samaritan’s Purse Canada, an international relief organization with its national headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, mobilized its initial Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) sending its first-ever Canadian Emergency Field Hospital to Myanmar. The cargo plane departed Calgary on April 1st, along with Canadian disaster response specialists. The Emergency Field Hospital includes two operating theatres, an emergency room, in-patient wards, a pharmacy, and a laboratory – the largest model of this scalable unit.
“This deadly earthquake has killed over 1,700 people, and left thousands of people in need, destroying entire communities,” said Fred Weiss, Executive Director of Samaritan’s Purse Canada. “It is for this exact purpose that we have our Canadian Emergency Field Hospital prepared, ready to meet the critical needs for victims of conflict and natural disasters. Please pray for all those affected and for our teams as they serve.”
Samaritan’s Purse has a long history in Myanmar, having responded to Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and maintained an in-country office from 2017 to 2022. Through its Operation Christmas Child program, the organization has continued serving children and families in Myanmar – sending more than 22,000 shoebox gifts last year alone.
Photo: The tents that make up the Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Field Hospital can serve more than 200 patients and house 15-30 surgeries every day in a disaster area. This photo depicts a previous deployment.
Press Release
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