San Francisco Burmese community worried about family in Myanmar after quake
For the Burmese community with family members back home, it's been a difficult time. They are worried about the safety of their loved ones and are struggling to get in touch with them.
Yuu Mee Thaw works at the Burmese Kitchen in the Richmond District but her focus has been on the other side of the world. She usually talks to her mom in Myanmar at a specific time everyday, but Thursday, that call never came.
She had already seen the images of the devastating earthquake that had hit the southeast Asian nation.
"Probably 4 a.m. in the morning, U.S. time, my mom finally contacted me and they're safe," Thaw said.
Thaw was able to talk to her mom for a few minutes, just long enough to get a quick update. Her home sustained major damage. T
"Most of the things in my house broke. Everything messed up but all my family members are safe," Thaw said. "No one really got hurt."
But since the early wake-up call, Thaw has been unable to reach her mother. With electricity and internet service down in the area, many are struggling to charge their phones and call out.
Thaw said her family is extremely concerned about aftershocks and are afraid to sleep inside their homes.
"Most of the people in my neighborhood, they're trying to sleep outside of the house, so it might be really hard for them to sleep at night," she said.
Thaw is hoping to send back outdoor sleeping supplies to her family soon, but right now, she's worried about everyone not having the basic necessities such as clean water and electricity. She said the earthquake just adds more stress to a country dealing with political turmoil.
"Myanmar is such a great country but our people are experiencing a lot of difficulties and they've been struggling since 2021 with the coup and everything," she said. "So I sent all my prayers to the people in Myanmar."