According to a statement from the Karen National Union (KNU), the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in seven districts of the Kawthoolei region has reached 751,669 in nearly three years from the 2021 coup to 2023.
Among the seven districts, KNU Brigade 3 area (Nyaunglebin District) has the highest number of IDPs at 248,160, while KNU Brigade 6 (Dooplaya District) has the second highest number at 149,969, according to the statement released on 18 January.
Compared to previous years, the number of IDPs has increased significantly due to the recent fighting between the Myanmar Army and the combined KNLA forces in Kawkareik and Mone Townships in late last year. Local Karen IDP aid groups say they are still unable to provide assistance to all IDPs.
Saw Khe Lay, deputy head of the Committee for Internally Displaced Karen People (CIDKP) said: “We are trying our best by coordinating with international groups to get help, but what we can do is very limited. Over 700,000 people is a huge number. Food is not the only need; we also have to think about their future, such as their resettlement and livelihoods.”
According to data collected by the CIDKP, there are currently more than 752,000 IDPs in the Kawthoolei region and they are still unable to provide adequate assistance to even half of them, Saw Khe Lay added.
“We still can’t even provide help for half of these over 700,000 people. And we can’t even provide aid on a monthly basis. Sometimes we provide aid for a month and then leave them for four or five months without further help. There is still a lot of need,” he said.
The KNU statement explains that the continued increase in the number of IDPs is due to the fact that the military council forces have intensified targeted artillery and air strikes on civilians, as well as other forms of violence, to attack them on a daily basis. The statement also includes the exact number of IDPs in each district.
The IDPs are not only displaced by armed clashes and arson attacks by the military council forces, but also struggling to meet their basic needs. According to local sources, their security situation in the midst of the conflict also remains precarious.
In the nearly three years since the coup, there are 143,529 IDPs in Brigade 1 (Thaton District), 20,152 IDPs in Brigade 2 (Taw Oo District), 75,185 IDPs in Brigade 4 (Myeik/Dawei District), 91,603 IDPs in Brigade 5 (Mutraw District) and 22,981 IDPs in Brigade 7 (Hpa-An District), the statement lists.
Sent by KIC.