Myanmar is at war and needs emergency support

Jesuit Mission Australia is urgently appealing for more support for families in Myanmar who continue to be crippled by war and natural disasters.

Four years of relentless conflict have left the country in ruins.

Since war broke out on 1 February 2021, women, men and children on the frontiers have endured hunger, disease, escalating violence, a deadly typhoon, and the displacement of over 3.5 million people.

And that was beforea 7.7 magnitude earthquake devastated Myanmar on 28 March.

Throughout these compounding disasters, Jesuit Mission Australia has activated its Emergency Action Fund to provide life-saving aid for families trapped on the frontiers of this crisis.

“Our Jesuit partners on the ground live and serve within the most impacted communities. Donations from our Australian community enable them to work through the existing Church networks and bring relief to many families that other organisations struggle to reach,” said Helen Forde, CEO of Jesuit Mission Australia.

“We are providing food, clean water, shelter, medicine and educational support.”  

“With millions of lives at risk, we need to do more right now,” said Ms Forde.

“The Jesuits are our eyes and ears in the communities, helping us identify urgent needs and directing your support to the areas of greatest impact. Guided by our Ignatian mission to walk with the excluded and respond to the cry of the vulnerable, we must act with compassion and courage,” said Helen Forde CEO of Jesuit Mission.

Jesuits on the frontiers in Myanmar risk everything to provide care and relief, they face overwhelming challenges and constant danger in their mission.

“We were air-bombed (I was 100 feet away from the bombing spot). Four people died and seven others were injured seriously. More than 20 houses were destroyed. On that same night, all the villagers of a nearby district and its surrounding villages fled and now take refuge in the nearby mountains and forests,” said a Jesuit on the ground.

“water. Some are already falling ill due to the poor weather conditions. Medicine is a challenge for us. . . There are no doctors in the village. Only two nurses are there.”

Currently nearly 20 million people, many of them children, are in desperate need of emergency assistance in Myanmar.

Thanks to support from Australian donors, the Jesuit Mission Emergency Action Fund, since 2021 has helped over 850,000 women, men and children in 14 countries to survive devastation, crisis and turmoil.

A donation today could help deliver crucial emergency support to our sisters and brothers in war-torn Myanmar and other crises around the world.

How your support can save lives