Investment in disaster prevention not only enhances a country’s resilience to natural disasters but also helps protect economic development and other progress.

Senior General Min Aung Hlaing underscored that the govern­ment will implement both short-term and long-term plans to effectively carry out rehabilitation efforts, aiming to restore affected areas to a state even better than before and ensuring that no one is left behind.

The second donation ceremony of well-wishers for people affected by the Mandalay earthquake and for rehabil­itation measures took place at Bayint­naung Villa in Nay Pyi Taw yesterday afternoon, with an address by Chair­man of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing.

The Senior General and all attend­ees observed a one-minute silence for the demise of people in the Mandalay earthquake.

Speaking on the occasion, the Sen­ior General said that as this is a peri­od of accelerated implementation of rehabilitation efforts, stability and peace are essential. Therefore, Tat­madaw has declared a temporary ceasefire from 2 April until the end of May. In light of this, ethnic armed organizations and relevant parties are urged to give serious considera­tion to this temporary ceasefire, and to comply and cooperate, keeping in mind the interests of the nation and the people.

He emphasized that when carrying out reconstruction activities, it is es­sential to not only address the current risks and hazards being faced but also to proactively consider potential future risks. Rehabilitation measures must be taken in accordance with established standards and guidelines to ensure long-term stability and re­silience for the future.

He pointed out that invest­ment in disaster prevention not only enhances a country’s resilience of natural disas­ters but also helps protect economic development and other progress.

The Senior General stressed that the government will implement both short-term and long-term plans to effectively carry out reha­bilitation efforts, aiming to restore affected areas to a state even better than before and ensuring that no one is left behind. In doing so, since there are limitations to what the government alone can ac­complish, it is only through collaborative efforts like this that the government can carry out rehabilitation works in the earthquake-affected regions efficiently and successfully.

He noted that the Manda­lay earthquake affected 506,069 people from 2,081 villages of 944 village-tracts and 374 wards of 10 regions and states includ­ing Nay Pyi Taw Council Area, leaving 3,739 people dead, 5,104 people injured and 68 missing.

He counted that the earth­quake destroyed 51,210 public houses, 431 road works, 103 bridges, 83 railway segments, 11 rail bridges, 6,730 mobile communication stations, 10 high-voltage transmission lines, 3,435 pylons, 594 dams, six em­bankments, 11,338 departmen­tal buildings, 384 hospitals, 364 clinics, 166 ancient buildings and museums, 2,409 basic ed­ucation schools, 72 higher ed­ucation buildings, 90 private schools, 6,469 temples and stu­pas, 5,588 religious edifices, 344 private workplaces, 78.5 acres of cropland and 133,700 head of cattle, worth K3,804.549 billion.

He continued that rescu­ers saved 653 survivors and 806 bodies from the collapsed and damaged buildings.

He added that the govern­ment manages the facilitation of communication, supply of electricity and keeping all af­fected people under temporary shelters before monsoon while opening temporary dispensa­ries to provide healthcare ser­vices to the people.

The Senior General re­counted that during the imple­mentation of such response efforts, international humani­tarian assistance was welcomed and facilitated. Relief items do­nated by the People’s Republic of China, the Republic of India, the Russian Federation, the AHA Centre, Vietnam, Bang­ladesh, Thailand, Indonesia, Pakistan, Belarus, Laos, the Singapore Red Cross Society, Nepal, the United Arab Emir­ates, Brunei, and Malaysia were distributed to the people in need in the earthquake-affected are­as without delay.

He underscored that if dis­aster risk reduction efforts are effectively planned and imple­mented from the beginning to the end — with thorough and proactive measures — it is esti­mated that the cost of recovery efforts after a natural disaster can be reduced about sevenfold.

He noted that on 1 April, during the first donation cer­emony, local and overseas donors contributed a total of K125.27 billion, comprising K112.87 billion in cash and K12.4 billion in kind.

The Senior General and well-wishers together with at­tendees watched a video clip on “Earthquake recovery and the capabilities and noble dignity of the Myanmar people”.

The Senior General accept­ed cash donations by Union ministries, families of the Tat­madaw (Army, Navy and Air), Ambassadors of Laos and Sri Lanka, and well-wishers and returned certificates of appre­ciation.

Chairman of National Dis­aster Management Committee SAC Vice-Chairman Deputy Prime Minister Vice-Senior General Soe Win, Joint Secre­tary General Ye Win Oo and council members accepted cash donations from well-wishers, regional and state governments, ministries and organizations and presented certificates of appreciation.

The Senior General cor­dially greeted well-wishers and hosted a tea party.

At the second donation ceremony for providing aid for earthquake-affected people and rehabilitation, well-wishers at home and abroad donated K131.53 billion and US$2,314,900 including 51 four-storey four-unit buildings, each of which is valued at K2,000 million. — MNA/TTA