Australian medical and emergency response personnel are part of the Federal Government’s efforts to aid in the Myanmar crisis. Photo: Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade/Facebook.
The governments of the Quad – Australia, Japan, India and the United States – have released a joint statement regarding the Myanmar earthquakes, committing more humanitarian aid.
The four governments acknowledge the already dire situation in Myanmar and welcome recent ceasefires between belligerent parties, though temporary and partial. The Quad has called for extended ceasefires to facilitate a safer environment in which to deliver aid.
Just a few days ago, members of the Chinese Red Cross were fired upon by the Myanmar military, highlighting the danger of delivering humanitarian aid in a conflict zone.
Made up of four nations with defence, strategic and economic stakes in the Indo-Pacific region, the Quad functions as an inter-governmental diplomatic and military forum that works for US soft power in East Asia to contain China.
As ASEAN nations commit aid, the Quad has pledged a combined $US20 million in assistance between the four powers. Through funding and bilateral efforts, the Quad is delivering supplies and deploying emergency medical teams and supporting partners to work in the beleaguered nation as it struggles to provide care for those affected by the earthquake.
Aid from numerous regional and global powers is coming into Myanmar, with China having already sent its first batch of supplies, worth $13 million, Russia sending medical teams and supplies and the UK pledging almost $13 million in aid.
The US, usually a large provider of foreign aid, has individually (separate from the Quad) pledged $2 million. The USAID budget has been drastically cut by President Donald Trump, creating a gap being filled by Russia, China and other regional powers.
The Quad’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership is working with ASEAN’s Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance to better allocate and deliver resources and assistance to those in need.
Quad cooperation in natural disaster zones goes back to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, where the four powers coordinated efforts for humanitarian aid and assistance.
The governments’ statement affirmed a commitment to joint responses to natural disasters and “broader challenges” to regional stability and security for a “free and open” Indo-Pacific.
