After a four-year long civil war, a severe food crisis and an economy on the decline, Myanmar now finds itself devastated by a powerful earthquake.

On Friday, the 7.7 magnitude quake hit the city of Sagaing in central Myanmar, and was followed by reports of destruction coming from nearby Mandalay – the country’s second largest city – as well as the capital, Nay Pyi Taw, which is more than 150 miles (241km) away.

Getting information out of Myanmar is difficult. Mobile lines in the affected areas have been patchy since the quake struck, but tens of thousands of people also live without electricity and there is limited access to the internet. Foreign journalists are also rarely allowed to enter officially due to a lack of press freedom.

So, how did Myanmar get here?

The country has seen decades of unrest and military rule since its independence from Britain in 1948.

In 2011, it appeared to move away from this and free elections were held four years later, which Aung San Suu Kyi won.

Democratic hopes were dashed in 2021, when she and her government were overthrown by a coup led by General Min Aung Hlaing.

He detained and charged Ms Suu Kyi and other members of her government, making allegations of widespread fraud in a vote held months earlier, when her National League for Democracy party won more than 80% of the ballot.

The coup triggered huge protests, with thousands taking to the streets daily, demanding the restoration of civilian rule. Violence quickly escalated between civilians and the military, with the army responding with brutal force, using tear gas and rubber bullets against crowds.

Rights groups believe hundreds of people died and thousands were injured in the crackdown.

What initially began as a civil disobedience campaign soon evolved into a widespread insurgency involving pro-democracy and ethnic rebel groups – which eventually sparked an all-out civil war.

Four years on, violent fighting has continued between the military on the one hand, and ethnic armies and armed resistance groups on the other.

The military has suffered huge losses and is no longer in control of large parts of the country. Discontent with General Min Aung Hlaing, too, has risen among the army’s ranks as more and more soldiers defect.

The fighting has left millions living in constant fear and insecurity – with little access to basic needs, including medical care and food, say rights groups.

More than 3.5 million people have been displaced by the fighting, according to the UN, which also said that this number will only grow as the conflict continues.

Food insecurity has reached “unprecedented levels”, the organisation’s world food program says, adding that rapid inflation has made food unaffordable for many.

Earlier this week, the UN announced it would cut aid to more than one million people in Myanmar from next month, citing global funding shortfalls.

This comes months after more than 200 people died in the wake of Typhoon Yagi, which triggered severe floods and mudslides in Myanmar and left hundreds of thousands of acres of crops destroyed.

Friday’s earthquake will no doubt add to the suffering of the country’s 50 million people.

It struck near the city of Sagaing – a rebel stronghold. Just months ago, it was the site of heavy fighting between rebels and the military, with local reports saying that air strikes were launched, causing thousands to flee.

The second-largest city, Mandalay, has also been hit by the earthquake, and is home to 1.5 million people. The Mandalay region has seen intense fighting between resistance troops and the army.

A very slow limited stream of information coming out of the country suggests that a hospital in the capital Naypyidaw, where the military government sits, has been turned into a “mass casualty site” – the few visuals we can see paint a picture of destruction, showing cracked roads and collapsed buildings.

“Hundreds of injured people are arriving… but the emergency building here also collapsed,” security officials at the hospital told AFP.

The country’s junta has now declared a state of emergency in multiple regions and made a rare request for international aid.

But it is unclear how they will respond to the earthquake as they fight a war under the leadership of an embattled general.