A MARTÍNEZ, BYLINE: Aid workers are picking through the rubble in the isolated Southeast Asian country, Myanmar as a devastating earthquake has killed thousands there. It's worsening the humanitarian crisis fueled by the country's ongoing civil war. Elena Vuolo joins me now to discuss from the administrative capital, Naypyidaw. She's the deputy head of the World Health Organization's Myanmar office. Elena, so where do recovery efforts stand right now?
ELENA VUOLO: Our efforts are, right now, very much focusing on making sure that the trauma and surgical kits that we have already been dispatching as of Saturday are reaching hospitals or whatever is left of the hospitals that have not collapsed yet. And we're also working to make sure that this earthquake does not disrupt a health system that was already fragile because, after all, this earthquake is just an additional crisis within a very dire humanitarian situation.
MARTÍNEZ: What are the greatest needs for disaster relief right now? What's the thing that -need most?
VUOLO: Trauma kits, surgical supplies. On Friday, I had to go to a hospital because one of our team members was in need of emergency care. There were no supplies to give stitches, for example, to my colleague. So when these infrastructures are severely damaged, the immediate need is also to find alternative options and to establish mobile hospitals, mobile operating theater rooms where surgeons can do their job. The second immediate need is to have emergency medical teams, rescue teams, teams who specialize in this kind of natural disaster response. Unfortunately, today, we can consider the golden window closed, meaning that it's closed, that time-bound window, whereby we expect to extract people under the rubble still alive.
MARTÍNEZ: Usually when these kind of global disasters happen, U.S. Agency for International Development would usually just spring into action. The Trump administration gutted that agency. In place of USAID, who is providing aid now? What parties are getting together to help Myanmar today?
VUOLO: European donors, Asian donors. Some countries have already come forward, like India, China, Russia. The U.N. system through OCHA has been able, for example, to mobilize $5 million for protection, education, cash-based assistance. Unfortunately, Myanmar is also one of the least funded emergencies in the world.
MARTÍNEZ: What's the pace been like to get these needed supplies to the people that need it?
VUOLO: The situation is very difficult. It's very dire. There is a shortage of food, water, electricity, internet. We're trying, still, to determine what are the immediate needs but also what are going to be the next needs in the next few weeks and months.
MARTÍNEZ: Elena, I remember back in 2008, Myanmar was hit by a cyclone that killed more than 140,000 people. And at the time, the military junta was criticized for not letting outside aid in. Do you think they have learned any lessons from that?
VUOLO: We see a higher degree of openness. As a matter of fact, there has been an appeal from the government here to the international community to bring that support. And I think that this is something that we need to appreciate, to recognize. In this given moment, we need to work with all counterparts.
MARTÍNEZ: That's Elena Vuolo, deputy head of the World Health Organization, Myanmar office. Elena, thank you very much for this update.
VUOLO: Thank you.
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