A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, triggering at least 10 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 2.8 to 7.5. Thousands of people have been killed or injured in the disaster.
China, India, Russia, and Malaysia have already dispatched aid teams to Myanmar.
The Minister of National Defence has instructed the General Staff to assemble a relief force, pending approval from national authorities, to help Myanmar mitigate the disaster’s impact.
The General Staff’s Search and Rescue Department, in coordination with relevant agencies, has developed a deployment plan involving 79 military personnel, including command staff, communications teams, search-and-rescue forces, military dog handlers, and medical staff. Colonel Pham Hai Chau, deputy director of the department, will lead the mission.
The team’s equipment will be carefully selected to ensure efficiency, drawing from Vietnam’s experience in earthquake relief operations in Turkey in 2023.
The deployment is expected to commence on March 30.
The General Department of Logistics and Technical Services, along with the Military Personnel Department, is preparing transportation and supply chains for the mission, ensuring that logistical and technical support is in place. The Foreign Relations Department is coordinating travel arrangements with the Air Defence-Air Force Service and commercial airlines to transport personnel, equipment, and relief goods to the disaster zone in Myanmar.
Senior Lieutenant General Huynh Chien Thang, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, emphasised that Vietnam’s participation underscores the country’s commitment to international humanitarian efforts and highlights the responsibility and capacity of the Vietnam People’s Army in global cooperation.
He urged agencies to expedite necessary procedures, particularly in transport logistics, relief supplies, and safety measures, to ensure a swift deployment.
Learning from their experience in Turkey, Vietnam’s military units are fully prepared to mobilise immediately upon receiving the final go-ahead, he said./.
