According to reports, people who have long been displaced in Kalay Township, Sagaing Region, as the Myanmar army has burned down their homes amid ongoing armed conflict are in need of food assistance.
Thousands of displaced people in southern Kalay have been fleeing fighting between military council troops and the People’s Defense Forces (PDF) for more than two years, as well as the burning of their homes following the coup, according to displaced people.
Although the displaced struggle daily to make ends meet, high commodity prices mean that income and expenses do not match, and they face difficulties, especially with basic food supplies, said a member of an IDP support group in Kalay.
“The new crop has not been harvested yet, so prices are very high. A basket of rice costs over 85,000 kyats, and a bag costs over 130,000 kyats. Some of the displaced people are working, but their wages are not enough. They can’t make ends meet at all and have difficulties. If there are donors, we would like to ask for food aid, especially during this period,” he said.
Although IDPs have received assistance from humanitarian groups, local and international civil society organizations under the National Unity Government (NUG), donor support has decreased compared to the past, so access to food is now difficult, he said.
There are reportedly 13 IDP camps in southern Kalay, with about 30,000 people living there.
As it is currently planting and harvesting season, the IDPs earn their living by planting rice and harvesting sesame seeds, peanuts and corn.
The makeshift shelters housing the displaced cannot withstand long-term exposure to rain and sun and are deteriorating, so tarps are needed for repairs, said an aid worker.
“They mainly need rice and other food items. Another thing is tarps. Tarps can’t even withstand the sun and rain for a year. IDPs need food first and tarpaulins second,” he said.
Currently, IDP camps have been established only in the southern part of Kalay, while no camps have been established in the northern part of the township. Therefore, some of the IDPs are staying with relatives and friends, he added.
Despite the displacement, about 400 CDM teachers and volunteer teachers in Kalay are teaching about 1,000 displaced students so that they can continue their education.
People Health Care groups with mobile medical services and public clinics under the NUG are taking care of the health of the displaced, the aid worker said.
The Kalay IDP support group official said long-term support from local and international donors is crucial for the displaced who fled for their survival during the struggle against the dictatorship.
“The IDPs are not normal displaced people, but revolutionary displaced people who support and join the revolution because they don’t want to live under a military dictatorship. So they have to be able to hold out in the long run. If the IDPs collapse, our revolution will fail, no matter how many weapons we have. That’s why we are asking local and international donors to step up and provide long-term assistance so that the displaced can endure,” he said.
Currently, there are about 20,000 displaced people from seven villages whose houses were burned down by the military council in Kalay Township, and more than 30,000 displaced people in total, including those who fled the fighting.
Sent by KMG.