1 day Ago By TOI World Desk
AP photo India and fellow Quad nations will together help Myanmar and Thailand following the 7.7 magnitude March 28 earthquake, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Saturday. The Quad alliance, comprising India, the US, Australia, and Japan, has collectively pledged humanitarian assistance exceeding 20 million dollars, whilst working alongside Asean and other partners to deliver crucial aid.
"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," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on X. India's support extends beyond the collaborative Quad initiative, with direct bilateral assistance being provided to Naypyidaw.
India initiated Operation Brahma to provide comprehensive support, including search and rescue operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and medical aid, following the March 28 earthquake in Myanmar. The National disaster response force (NDRF) is spearheading the relief efforts under Operation Bharma. During the Bimstec summit in Bangkok, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held discussions with Myanmar's senior general Min Aung Hlaing, where he assured India's support following the catastrophic earthquake, as reported by foreign secretary Vikram Misri on Friday.
At a special briefing regarding PM Modi's Thailand visit, Misri said, "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.".
