YANGON, July 5 (Xinhua) -- One hundred days after a powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck central Myanmar on March 28, many people remained in temporary shelters. Communities are still struggling to recover, with international aid serving as a vital lifeline, a humanitarian official said.

In an exclusive interview with Xinhua, Nadia Khoury, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) delegation in Myanmar, provided a sobering update on the ground and highlighted the urgent need for sustained support, especially as families work to rebuild amid mounting humanitarian pressures.

"It's been 100 days after the earthquake, but it's still very early," the official said, adding, "The road to recovery is going to be very long."

The IFRC, working closely with the Myanmar Red Cross, has now shifted into what it calls the early recovery phase, a crucial transition from emergency aid to long-term rehabilitation.

"In the current early recovery phase, we are going through detailed community assessments in order to provide communities with the shelter and the livelihood options that are suited to them," she said.

However, she acknowledged the challenges ahead. "We recognize that recovery is costly. It will take a long time. So international assistance is absolutely essential for the next hundred days and for the next few months," she said.

To meet these needs, the IFRC has launched an emergency appeal of 100 million Swiss francs (125.9 million U.S. dollars) to fund recovery operations over the next two years. Yet, as the official noted, "Recovery is significantly more expensive than relief assistance."

The IFRC official highlighted China as a country that responded quickly and meaningfully in the immediate aftermath of the disaster.

"In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, we saw how fast Chinese search and rescue teams had been deployed, it was really quite impressive," the official said.

The Red Cross Society of China, along with its Hong Kong branch, delivered a large amount of emergency supplies, funding, and technical support to Myanmar, she said.

"China has considerably supported the response to the earthquake in the very early days. China has provided emergency assistance and made commitments about funding. CIDCA, China International Development Cooperation Agency, is also making donations," she said.

As media attention fades, the IFRC is urging international donors to look beyond short-term aid.

"Don't forget the people of Myanmar," the IFRC official said. "Recovery will take a long time. We want to do everything that we can to help families in need to recover, to regain their livelihoods and to be healthy members of their communities," she added. ■