The search for survivors after a powerful earthquake hit Myanmar on March 28 is called off.
Rescue operations are giving way to intensified relief and recovery programmes as the death toll from the disaster has surpassed 3,600 and continues to rise.
A situation report released on Monday evening by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said more than 17.2 million people were living in affected areas and were in need of food, clean water, health care, cash assistance and temporary shelter.
In Naypyitaw, the capital, people scoured rubble and collected firewood from damaged homes in a light rain, while soldiers worked to clear debris at some Buddhist monasteries.
Myanmar's Fire Department said on Monday that rescuers had pulled 10 bodies from the rubble of a collapsed building in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city.
The report said international rescuers from Singapore, Malaysia and India had returned home after completing their search operations.
Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the military government, said late Monday that the death toll from the quake had reached 3,600, with 5,017 injured and 160 missing. He said 1,738 people from 20 countries were involved in rescue operations, helping to find and evacuate 653 survivors.
The number of rescue teams working in residential areas of Naypyitaw is gradually decreasing.
The magnitude 7.7 earthquake affected much of the country, causing extensive damage to six regions and states. Many areas were left without power and communications, making it difficult to fully assess the extent of the damage.
Heavy rain and winds hampered rescue efforts on Saturday night and added to the misery of homeless people forced to sleep in the open. The weather forecast for this week calls for isolated showers and thunderstorms across the country.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
