Mum's desperate wish for two-week-old newborn baby made homeless by Myanmar earthquake

Only days old, Thida cradles her newborn in the kind of tender maternal moment enjoyed by countless mums.

But the poignant scene is punctured by a grim reality — the pair are among those displaced by the devastating quake which has shaken war-torn . Thida’s son arrived just eight days before the disaster last month. “I want to keep my baby safe,” the 24-year-old mum-of-two says.

The family are living in a makeshift street shelter in the country’s capital, Mandalay. Thida needs medical support — struggling to heal from her C-section. And she also requires food and daily necessities for herself and her family. The 7.7 magnitude earthquake on March 28 is said to have killed over 3,300 people and injured more than 4,800 in Myanmar.

“I was at home cooking [when the earthquake struck], and my baby was in bed. Since I had a C-section, I couldn’t move quickly. I had to ask for help to get my baby while the earthquake was still shaking [our home],” Thida, who had her baby on March 20 and also has a six-year-old son, recalled. The quake has sparked a humanitarian crisis in a country already devastated by civil war.

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Thida added: “We have food shortages and lack daily necessities. We only get food [when there are distributions]. I haven’t received [water, medicine or materials to build shelter]. We sometimes get meals, snacks, and water, but we haven’t received any rice. We need something to make a roof for our shelter. I want to keep my baby safe.

"My husband is jobless now. There are just the four of us here; my 6-year-old son, my newborn baby, my husband, and me. My aunt is staying with her own family somewhere, and my grandma is living elsewhere. Since I got married, we have lived separately from them, so we have to manage everything on our own. My husband is doing everything for us because I am still in pain from childbirth. I can’t do anything to help." She also said: "It’s not comfortable to sleep here. We have a big mosquito problem at night, they bite my baby. I also feel a lot of pain from my stitches. It feels like my belly wound is tearing open. I can’t move at all.”

It comes as the UK’s Disasters Emergency Committee appeal for the quake has raised a staggering £10million with and among those who have made donations. One of the DEC’s members, World Vision, is providing help to families in Mandalay. Dr Kyi Minn, National Director for DEC charity World Vision in Myanmar, said: "When I arrived in Mandalay city and nearby towns, what I saw was truly heartbreaking. I met mothers holding their babies under the hot sun, trying to keep them cool without clean water or a place to stay. I saw children sitting quietly in long lines, waiting for a simple meal – perhaps some hadn’t had anything all day.

“April is the hottest month in Myanmar, and even before the earthquakes, many families already had a hard time getting clean water during the dry season. Now, with water sources damaged, things are even worse. One mother told me it’s very hard to find water, and even when they do, it’s often not safe to drink. Young children and pregnant women are especially at risk of getting sick from waterborne diseases like diarrhea, which can be very dangerous in these conditions.

“Food insecurity was already a big problem - over 15 million people were facing food insecurity even before the quake. What I saw showed that this disaster has made everything worse. Families with young children who were already struggling now have nothing. I saw many people sleeping on the streets, scared of more aftershocks. One young girl told me she hasn’t slept properly since the quake because she’s too afraid.

"They urgently need safe shelter, a place to rest, and to feel normal again. We are especially concerned for the children and women. They are among the most vulnerable in times like this. This disaster has only deepened the risks they face, and we must act quickly to protect them, provide life-saving support, and help restore their hope.”

Neighbouring Thailand was also shaken by the quake, with a high-rise under construction in Bangkok brought down. In 2021, Myanmar's military seized power from the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi – sparking what has turned into a civil war. The quake has worsened an already dire humanitarian crisis, with over three million people displaced from their homes and almost 20 million in need even before it hit, according to the UN.

Thida's name has been changed. To donate to the DEC’s Myanmar earthquake appeal please visit: