More than a week after a devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar’s Mandalay region, families are still desperate for information about missing loved ones as military-enforced internet shutdowns severely disrupt relief operations.
The digital blackout, imposed nationwide since the 2021 military coup, has left humanitarian agencies unable to coordinate effectively while survivors struggle to access basic aid. Currently, at least 3,500 casualties have been confirmed, with countless more feared trapped beneath collapsed buildings in what has become Myanmar’s deadliest natural disaster in decades.
The military junta is still maintaining tight control over telecommunications, blocking social media and news sites while imposing complete internet blackouts across nearly one-third of the country.
LGBTQ+ activist Gus, hiding from junta forces in Sagaing region, described waiting three days before aid reached his community after the quake. “We couldn’t call for help or learn the quake’s true scale,” he told Thomson Reuters Foundation, noting most residents only accessed information through expensive Starlink satellite connections costing $0.48 for two hours – nearly a quarter of the average daily wage.
Satellite Tech Bridges Some Gaps in Relief Efforts
Humanitarian workers report are left relying on Elon Musk’s Starlink systems and AI-powered tools to circumvent communication barriers. Chinese rescue teams have employed the services of DeepSeek AI for translation services, while the EU’s Copernicus program and Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab analyze satellite imagery to identify the hardest-hit areas.
However, Richard Horsey of International Crisis Group has said that these solutions remain limited. I’m his words;
“Starlink is expensive, and there are not that many units on the ground.” Cloud cover and political restrictions further hamper drone surveillance and damage assessments.
Microsoft’s Planet Labs satellites have been of help too, by mapping out the destruction, but unfortunately, monsoon rains are obscuring visibility. DeepSeek’s translations assist foreign responders, yet most locals lack access to these tools. As one anonymous humanitarian worker noted, “Nothing replaces unimpeded access to communities.” With the junta restricting movement and communication, Myanmar’s earthquake recovery may become the first modern disaster where more lives are lost to failed response, more than the initial catastrophe.
