UN Leaders Rally for Aid in Earthquake-Stricken Myanmar

The United Nations sends aid chief Tom Fletcher and special envoy Julie Bishop to Myanmar following a devastating earthquake. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges immediate international funding and support to address urgent humanitarian needs ahead of the monsoon season.

United Nations aid chief Tom Fletcher is set to arrive in Myanmar on Friday, following the devastating earthquake that shook the nation. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for increased international funding and unhindered access to deliver aid effectively.

Guterres announced that Julie Bishop, the UN's special envoy for Myanmar, would also visit the nation soon to emphasize the importance of peace and dialogue during these trying times. The earthquake, coupled with the approaching monsoon season, has significantly worsened the humanitarian situation in Myanmar.

The nation is still reeling from the impact of last Friday's 7.7-magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest in a century. The catastrophe has left communities flattened and major infrastructure, including hospitals, toppled. As of Thursday, the death toll stands at 3,085, with 4,715 injured and 341 missing, according to the ruling junta.

(With inputs from agencies.)