On March 28, 2025, massive 7.7 and 6.4M earthquakes affected Myanmar’s 58 townships, resulting in more than 3,500 deaths, 5,233 buildings collapsed, and displaced 69,000 people. This commentary highlights Myanmar’s complex challenges by exploring the intersection of the cascading seismic-induced disasters with civil war, volatility in governance, international isolation and complex institutional arrangements. We offer some alternative views on what needs to be done in the first three months of Myanmar’s immediate response.