People climbing into a damaged building as they look for survivors in Mandalay. Photo: AFP/SAI AUNG MAIN
An advocate for New Zealand's Myanmar community is worried aid from the international community won't go to where it's needed if it's given directly to the military government.
The military junta has made the rare step of asking for international help in the wake of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday.
But Burma Campaign New Zealand spokesperson Pe Khin Aung said the international community was understandably reluctant to do that.
"They know that once the international community supports them, the support is not really going to the public, they're using it for military [purposes]."
The ruling junta controls about one-quarter of the country, and it is still subject to international sanctions.
Pe Khin Aung said aid would only go where it was needed if given to non-governmental organisations like the Red Cross.
Aung said he was also "very worried" about friends and family in Mandalay - the country's second-largest city - which was close to the epicentre of last night's devastating quake.
"I have to find out where they are and try to contact them."
He said he had not yet been able to get through to people he knows there.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said there was no indication that any New Zealanders had been killed or injured by the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar.
MFAT said SafeTravel messaging had been issued to the seven New Zealanders registered in Myanmar and 203 in Thailand.
MFAR said that New Zealand is giving $2 million to support the emergency response in Myanmar.
It said the money will be given to the International Red Cross and the money will help with essential relief items such as food supplies, tents, blankets and provide lifesaving medical assistance.
The government agency said all staff from the New Zealand embassies in Yangon and Bangkok had been accounted for as well.
While flights into and out of Bangkok had been disrupted, MFAT said they understood that the airport was now operating.
Survivors wait to receive medical attention on the ground of a hospital compound. Photo: Sai Aung Main / AFP
UNICEF Aotearoa is calling for donations for those who have been affected by the quake in central Myanmar.
The New Zealand branch of the international children's rights charity has set up a local appeal.
UNICEF said its teams were on the ground assessing damage and preparing to assist in emergency response efforts.
The charity said the urban centres worst affected - such as Sagaing, Nay Pyi Daw and Mandalay - which are home to "hundreds of thousands of children. Mandalay, Myanmar's second largest city, is among the hardest-hit areas, with widespread destruction and urgent humanitarian needs."
UNICEF Aotearoa director of communications Tania Sawicki Mead said the earthquake was the latest blow to a country already struggling with escalating conflict and climate shocks.
"Prior to the earthquake, UNICEF had already estimated that in 2025, 19.9 million people, including 6.3 million children, would require humanitarian assistance in Myanmar.
"We are calling for donors and supporters to help us in this critical time of need as we work to support devastated children and their families in Myanmar. Now, more than ever, they need us."
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