In Tanintharyi Township, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is increasing due to ongoing fighting between military junta troops and resistance forces as well as increased airstrikes by the military, leading to food shortages, according to aid workers.
During the fighting in the last week of August, over 700 people were displaced from the villages of 6-Mile, Se Ein Su, Ban Law and Hton Taw. The total number of IDPs in Nway Oo Myittar IDP Camp has reached 1000, according to aid workers.
Previously, each IDP received rice and food for 15 days. However, due to the increase in the number of temporarily displaced people, aid groups are currently only able to distribute one week’s worth of supplies. This has led to a food shortage, said a member of the Nway Oo Myittar IDP aid group.
“We can only supply a small amount of rice. We used to provide enough for 15 days. Now we can only distribute supplies for about a week or five days. The commodity prices are also much higher here. If an item can be bought for 50 kyat elsewhere, we have to buy the same item for 100 kyat here. We can’t order supplies and transportation of rice is also not allowed. The more they don’t allow, the higher the prices are. We have to carry the supplies by any means available. In the rainy season, it’s even difficult to buy medicines for coughs and colds,” says the aid worker.
On the other hand, the military junta has restricted the transportation of food supplies in Tanintharyi, Palaw and Thayetchaung Townships, so the IDP camps in the restricted areas are facing food shortages and have to buy at very high prices, according to aid workers.
Although the junta troops withdrew after four days of fighting that began on 26 August in 6-Mile village in Ban Law village tract, residents haven’t yet been able to return to their homes because the junta columns keep entering and bombings by the military, the aid worker said.
A woman who works with Nway Oo Myittar aid group said: “With the advancing military columns, fighting and heavy artillery shelling, the villagers from 6-Mile village can no longer stay in their village. The whole village has fled. As the planes coming from Kyauk Lone Gyi often drop bombs or fly over the village, they have asked us for help. So we took responsibility for them. Including the villages that have been permanently displaced, there are now 14 villages in total
According to a July report by Fe 5 Tanintharyi, a local research group, the number of IDPs has risen to over 63,600 due to the ongoing large-scale offensives and raids by the military junta.
In Tanintharyi Township, where martial law has been in place, the military council has completely banned the transportation of medicine and food, which poses significant difficulties for the displaced people in the area.
Sent by IMNA.