Army veteran seeks access into Myanmar for relief team after fatal earthquake

An Army veteran has arrived in Bangkok to try to gain access to the earthquake-hit region in neighbouring Myanmar.

The country was hit by a huge quake last Friday, causing major destruction and loss of life. 

Major Lizzy Stileman served with the Royal Logistic Corps for 20 years and now volunteers with the military-focused disaster response charity React.

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"As soon as we can get access, we'll get to the staging post, and fire them up country," she told BFBS Forces News.

"We don't need fancy hotels, we have our own tents, we have our own water purification and our own medical within our teams. So we are totally self-sufficient and can reach the people who really need us most."

The shallow depth of the 7.7 magnitude quake, at just 10km, made the destruction even more devasting.

It's thought that 35% of the country's population is now in urgent need of aid, including 6.4 million children.

Some 3.5 million are already displaced due to the ongoing conflict, which makes getting in aid even more challenging.

Maj Stileman’s first objective is to gain access to Myanmar, but with heavy restrictions in place and the ongoing conflict this is far from easy.

She is liaising with NGOs, the United Nations, government officials and the embassy to secure access so the follow-on React team can try to reach those most in need.

She says they are packed and ready to go, and her efforts remain focused on getting them in country.

Anyone wanting to donate to React's relief efforts can do so here.