Myanmar’s long isolation and its internal instability are likely to complicate the global humanitarian aid response to the earthquake that struck on Friday, despite a rare plea for outside help from the country’s military-dominated government.

       “We need and want the international community to provide humanitarian aid,” said the military spokesman, Gen. Zaw Min Tun. “We will cooperate with them to ensure the best care for the victims.”

       Myanmar was cut off by the United States and many other Western nations in 2021, after the military seized power in a coup and imposed a brutal crackdown. Even before the coup, the country had been under various sanctions for decades, most recently over organized violence against the Rohingya minority.

       Western sanctions include carve-outs for humanitarian aid, and the United Nations said on Friday that it was mobilizing help for those in need. But in a country ravaged by civil war, major logistical hurdles remain in getting the aid to the people who most need it.

       Michael Martin, a nonresident fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the security and safety of international aid workers in reaching affected regions is one issue.

       There is also a risk that the military prevents aid workers from reaching rebel-held areas, or will slow-walk the delivery of aid, including by repackaging it to appear as if it is from the military rather than international institutions, said Dr. Martin, who was the former lead analyst on Myanmar for the Congressional Research Service. The military could also prevent relief workers from getting visas or delay processing times, he added.

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