India, US, Australia, Japan join hands to contribute over USD 20 million in humanitarian aid to Myanmar

Naypyidaw [Myanmar], April 5 (ANI): India and other Quad nations stand with the people of Myanmar and Thailand in the wake of the earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28. The Quad nations - India, the US, Australia, and Japan - have joined hands to contribute more than 20 million in humanitarian aid and are coordinating with other partners, including ASEAN, to provide life-saving assistance. These efforts of India come in addition to the bilateral aid sent by New Delhi to Naypyidaw. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated, "India, along with Quad partners, stands with the people of Myanmar & Thailand in the wake of the March 28 earthquake. For Myanmar, alongside our bilateral aid, we've joined hands with our Quad partners to contribute over USD 20M in humanitarian aid & are coordinating with other partners, including ASEAN, to deliver life-saving assistance."India launched Operation Brahma to provide necessary support, including Search and Rescue (SAR), humanitarian aid, disaster relief and medical assistance, following the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28.Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Myanmar's Senior General Min Aung Hlaing on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok on Friday and conveyed India's support to Myanmar in its hour of need following a devastating earthquake that killed thousands, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Friday.Addressing a special briefing on PM Modi's visit to Thailand, Misri stated, "The PM conveyed to the Senior General that as the first responder, India stands with Myanmar in the hour of need and is ready to deploy more material assistance as needed.""The PM also underlined the importance of early restoration of the democratic process in Myanmar through credible elections," he said.Myanmar is currently recovering from the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck the nation on March 28, following which India, being the first responder in times of crisis in the neighbourhood, had been providing vital assistance to the country.India's National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is actively leading the efforts as part of Operation Bharma, with rescue and relief operations underway in Myanmar.NDRFDeputy Commander Kunal Tiwari, who is overseeing the search and rescue operations, shared insights into the ongoing efforts on Wednesday.Tiwari mentioned that the NDRF team consists of 80 personnel, supported by four specially trained canines and advanced equipment for rigging, lifting, cutting, and bridging. As part of Operation Brahma, India has already delivered 625 metric tons of humanitarian aid and disaster relief materials to Myanmar as of Tuesday. (ANI)