Following the fighting between the Myanmar army and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) in Kyaikmaraw Township in Mon State, displaced people are in need of food and medical aid, according to aid providers.
Access to the places where the displaced people have found refuge is taking a long time because the armies of both sides have blocked the routes to these areas, aid workers said.
A resident of Kawtpanaw village said there are difficulties in delivering food and other essentials as the displaced people are scattered across several locations.
“This fighting could go on for a long time. We have stockpiled as much food as we can, so we are not too worried about people on our side. But we are worried about the people on the other sides. Like in the case of Pyargyitaung village, we can’t deliver food there even though we have food for them. We can’t go down there because the military council troops are present there,” said the villager.
According to reports, some displaced people have found shelter with their relatives in Mudon, Mawlamyine and Kyaikmaraw, while others are hiding in the jungle and caves in Pyargyitaung.
Currently, emergency assistance is needed for about 200 displaced people who have taken refuge in the Pyargyitaung cave and about 100 others near the MCL cement factory, the local aid provider from Kawtpanaw said.
Apart from the ongoing fierce fighting in Kyaikmaraw Township, the bombardments and artillery shelling by the military council have forced some entire villages to flee.
A resident of Meitayo village said: “The fighting is more intense than before. They are shooting and no longer know what they are aiming at. Some shells have hit civilian houses. That’s why people are too scared to stay in their village”
Although local donors and Buddhist monks in the area have been providing aid, there is concern that food supplies for displaced civilians may run out if the fighting continues.
Fighting broke out on 10 November when the KNLA joint force raided Chaunghnitkhwa village police station and the bridge checkpoint in Kyaikmaraw Township.
At least five civilians, including two children, were killed and ten others injured in the fighting; many houses were set on fire or severely damaged.
The armed conflict has so far displaced tens of thousands of people from at least 20 villages, including Chaunghnitkhwa, Meitayo, Kyaukkwe, Pawlaw, Hlakazaing, Taungkalay, Mayangone, Kawtdun and Kawtpanaw.
Sent by IMNA.
