Aid Convoy Attacked in Myanmar Amid Ongoing Military Conflict Following Earthquake**

An armed assault on a Chinese Red Cross convoy delivering earthquake relief in Myanmar highlights the challenges of providing aid in a conflict zone, as the military continues to engage in hostilities.**

Soldiers in Myanmar launched an attack on a convoy delivering relief supplies from the Chinese Red Cross to earthquake victims in Mandalay. This incident occurred despite a devastating earthquake last week that claimed at least 2,700 lives and illustrates the military's refusal to halt operations amid the chaos. According to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the military used machine guns against the convoy late Tuesday as it was traversing Naung Cho township. Although details about injuries or casualties remain undisclosed, the TNLA noted that it intervened to facilitate the convoy's delivery of much-needed aid.

Major-General Min Aung Hlaing, head of Myanmar’s junta, asserted that military actions would persist as warranted, even in the wake of the disaster. The attack on the aid convoy underscores the difficulties of delivering humanitarian assistance in a country grappling with armed conflict. International support has been mobilized, with China dispatching search teams and providing approximately $14 million in emergency funding shortly after the earthquake.

In a surprising response to the calamity, both the National Unity Government, an exile-led shadow government, and the Three Brotherhood Alliance–which includes the TNLA–declared temporary cease-fires. However, the reality on the ground tells a different story, with reports of continued military airstrikes targeting even training camps of rebel factions. Just hours before the convoy attack, a strike in Kachin State resulted in the death of 38 young recruits from the Kachin Independence Army (K.I.A.).

Aid organizations, including UNICEF and the World Food Program, have begun their operations in Mandalay and nearby Sagaing, where the need for food and water is critical. Nevertheless, locals have reported that military presence is obstructing their rescue efforts, exacerbating the already dire situation. Since the military coup, over 6,476 individuals have reportedly lost their lives as the conflict intensifies, indicating a dire humanitarian crisis that continues to unfold.