UN estimates that at least 20 million people are affected by the earthquake in Burma

The United Nations (UN) published a report stating that nearly 20 million people in Burma (Myanmar) were affected in various ways by last Friday's devastating 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

The disaster has left more than 2,000 people dead, the country's ruling military junta announced on Monday, and hopes of finding survivors in the rubble have diminished considerably. Thousands of collapsed buildings have also been reported in the latest updates.

Seismic services have also recorded more than 170 aftershocks since Friday, including a new 5.1 magnitude quake felt Sunday morning in Mandalay, although no damage has been reported.

The UN humanitarian coordinator in Burma, Marcoluigi Corsi, explained in a video that a third of the population of the affected region, just over 20 million, suffer the consequences of the earthquake in a country that was already going through a deep political and economic crisis, since the military coup of 2021.

The multilateral organization and other NGOs document damage to some 1,690 houses, 670 monasteries, 60 schools and at least three major bridges, which collapsed totally or partially during the disaster.

There are also records of cracks in universities, hospitals and roads, forcing the evacuation of millions of people to open spaces or some shelters, due to the insecurity of these sites, the report adds.

Land, air and internet communications are also severely affected, causing difficulties for 1.5 million people in the region.

The UN also warned on Saturday that "severe shortages" of medical supplies are impacting assistance deployed on the ground, stressing that relief workers are especially short of "trauma kits," blood units, anesthetic products and certain essential medicines.

An official assessment puts the numbers at 1,644 dead and 3,408 injured.

The latest official toll is 1,644 dead and 3,408 injured, the junta said Saturday, mostly in Mandalay city and surrounding areas. But the toll could be much higher.

The 7.7-magnitude quake, with its epicenter in the Burmese town of Sagaing, struck Friday at 06h20 GMT (12h50 in Burma and 13h20 in Thailand) followed a few minutes later by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock, later revised upward to 6.7. Villagers continue to search for survivors in the rubble on Sunday.

The country's authorities declared a state of emergency in the six most affected regions.

In addition, the President of the Junta, Min Aung Hlaing, called for international assistance and invited "any country, any organization" to help. Humanitarian agencies warn that Burma is not prepared for a disaster of this magnitude.

The war has decimated Burma's health care system, where the ruling military is cut off from the rest of the world. The civil conflict displaced some 3.5 million people, according to the United Nations, which before the earthquake already estimated that 15 million people were at risk of hunger by 2025.