Life-Saving Surgeries Continue in Myanmar

Updated as of: April 22

Our team hit the ground running. On April 7, members of our Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), which includes doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, began performing surgeries in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar. We are working near the epicenter of the deadly earthquake that struck on March 28. The Emergency Field Hospital (EFH) we've deployed is equipped with an ICU, emergency room, pharmacy, laboratory, and two operating theaters where we can perform dozens of surgeries daily.

The EFH was flown from Calgary, Alberta, aboard the Samaritan’s Purse DC-8 cargo jet. This marks the first-ever deployment of the field hospital from Canada.

More than 3,500 are confirmed dead in Myanmar, and more than 5,000 have been injured, while hundreds more are still missing. The surgical needs in the hardest-hit areas are overwhelming, and the local hospitals are at capacity. The EFH has surpassed 2,000 patients treated since opening on April 8. Two patients have accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Praise God!

We have 116 DART members in Myanmar and 6 in Bangkok, providing essential support. Another 59 DART members are enroute to backfill the first wave throughout this week. Since the opening of our EFH, a local representative from Operation Christmas Child has been serving as a chaplain in the hospital, ministering to patients, listening to their stories, and praying for them. 300 Non-Food Item kits, which include items for community needs such as cooking kits, hygiene kits, blankets, and more, were delivered to the YMCA, which will distribute them to those in need through 29 local churches.

Nadi*, a patient, came to the EFH and received emergency surgery on her ankle after the earthquake destroyed her home and trapped her in rubble for six hours. After surgery, she said, “I hope to be like the people here and help others in need.”

Please pray for Nadi as she recovers in the EFH. Please also pray earnestly for the people of Myanmar for their healing, physical and spiritual, as they recover in the aftermath of this devastating earthquake.

In addition to life-saving surgeries, six water filtration units have been deployed. Combined, they can produce 6,340 gallons of drinking water per hour, which is enough to supply over 20,000 people with 3 gallons of much-needed clean water per day.

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.

Please pray earnestly for the people of Myanmar who are suffering and for our teams as they serve as the hands and feet of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. As Scripture commands us, “Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

More updates to follow.

*Name changed for privacy.

What is Samaritan's Purse?

The story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37) gives a clear picture of God’s desire for us to help those in desperate need wherever we find them. After describing how the Samaritan rescued a hurting man whom others had passed by, Jesus told His hearers, “Go and do likewise.” For over 50 years, Samaritan’s Purse has done our utmost to follow Christ’s command by going to the aid of the world’s poor, sick, and suffering. Partners like you make it possible to bring critical food, water, medicine, and other assistance, including Operation Christmas Child shoebox gifts, in the Name of Jesus Christ.

As you partner with Samaritan's Purse to work in crisis areas worldwide, people often ask, “Why did you come?” The answer is always the same: “We have come to help you in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Our ministry is all about Jesus—first, last, and always. We thank God for the opportunities He gives to share the hope of the Gospel wherever we go.