Response specialists from Samaritan's Purse Canada have touched down in Myanmar to offer life-saving support to those affected by the massive earthquake that struck March 28. 

Team members set off to Myanmar aboard its DC-8 cargo plane alongside the largest model of the organization’s scalable hospital unit. Featuring two operating theatres, an emergency room, inpatient wards, a pharmacy and a laboratory, the large-scale field hospital will be used to assist the nearly 5,000 injured from the 7.7 magnitude earthquake that ravaged Myanmar and neighbouring nations. 

Executive director Fred Weiss recalls how fast the decision was made to send a relief effort to the southeast Asian country, marking the first-ever Canadian emergency field hospital dispatched by the non-denominational organization. 

“ I was in the office early that Friday morning when I caught something in the news about an earthquake. I reached out to our team, who were working with our counterparts around the globe, who had already been tracking the disaster and been in touch with our Church partners on the ground in Myanmar,” Weiss said. 

The Calgary-based organization that provides essential relief and development work in Jesus’ name around the world since 1973 has a history of assistance in Myanmar. Samaritan’s Purse Canada responded to Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and had maintained an in-country office from 2017 to 2022. Through the Operation Christmas Child program, it continues serving children and families in Myanmar, sending more than 22,000 shoebox gifts to those in need last year.

Now, the Canadian rescue team will join the Samaritan’s Purse International team already on the ground in both Myanmar and Thailand.  Samaritan’s Purse is expected to airlift additional components of the large-scale field hospital, such as water filtration systems, emergency shelter material and hygiene kits. 

The relief team is expected to operate in Myanmar for at least the next 30 days.

Still shaken at the sheer devastation caused by the earthquake and subsequent aftershock that has left more than 3,000 dead, Weiss is thankful he and the team are in a position to assist the disaster both physically and spiritually. 

“ To be able to accommodate up to 200 patients a day, facilitate up to 30 surgeries a day and have inpatient wards for those that need to stay on for a few days to recover is a blessing. 

"We know this is an earthquake, so we are equipped for crush injuries such as broken bones, allowing us to be that much more effective in our response,” he said. 

“While no one wants to see anyone injured, all we can do is pray that we can be there in Jesus' name to help people and to show them God's love as we do that.  Jesus loved us so much that He gave His life for us, and we want to show people how much He loves them by going out and helping them in their times of crisis. This is by meeting practical, physical needs, but also being appreciative of the opportunities to also meet spiritual needs in letting people know how deeply God loves them.”

As close to 40 people from Samaritan's Purse’s Canadian and international teams  work with local authorities and Church partners to mobilize near the city of Mandalay, Weiss says one of the most urgent areas of concern is the power outages and communication complications due to collapsing buildings and infrastructure. 

He said shelter materials are currently on route, with even basic items such as flashlights ready for use to allow the team to work in the dark while helping to recover people trapped under debris.

Even before the earthquake, Myanmar was a turbulent area due in large part to the Tatmadaw armed forces’ rule over the country since a 2021 military coup. 

While Myanmar’s ruling military government announced a temporary ceasefire in operations against armed opposition groups to allow for recovery efforts, the junta’s presence has made it difficult for certain relief groups to operate over the last four years. 

“Everybody wants to get in there to help, but not everybody can. It's not an easy place to get into,” said the Development and Peace-Caritas Canada interim executive director Luke Stocking.

Still, Development and Peace was able to  unlock $50,000 to be donated to relief efforts. 

Weiss said that  as an international Christian relief organization, Samaritan’s Purse can, and will, enter countries regardless of politics, religious or racial issues that others might consider. However, he said the team will be working alongside local authorities to ensure safe and fluid operations. 

“ We just want to help hurting people,” he said. “ We always try to mobilize prayer for the hurting community and the people of Myanmar. Our teams on the ground, those local Church partners, are the heroes, and we are blessed to support them in a time of crisis like this.” 

The organization’s Canadian  disaster assistance response team currently has over 400 people ready for deployments anywhere a crisis event happens.