The displaced people from Shan State seeking refuge in Myitkyina and Waingmaw in Kachin State are in urgent need of food and shelter, according to those assisting the Shan IDPs in Myitkyina.
Nearly 4,000 households taking shelter in Myitkyina and around 200 households in Waingmaw are in need of aid, as they have not received any assistance, according to a person helping the displaced people.
“The IDPs need healthcare, food, and shelter. The Shan tribes have no plans in place, as they have never faced displacement due to conflict. There is a lack of shelter and funding. The most pressing need is financial aid. Their survival is extremely difficult. They have no shelter or food. We urge people to help them,” he said.
Since February 2024, the IDPs have been displaced due to the ongoing fighting between the junta troops and the KIA. The displaced people came from Aung Myay-1, Aung Myay-2, Shwe Nyaung Pin, and Nawngtalaw villages in Waingmaw Township, Talawgyi and Hsinbo villages in Myitkyina Township, Seikmu in Hpakant Township, as well as Pang War, Chipwi, and Momauk Townships.
The IDPs who fled to Myitkyina are taking shelter in 12 monasteries in the town, while those who sought refuge in Waingmaw are staying at the Aung Mingalar IDP camp, according to those assisting the displaced people.
A person assisting the IDPs said, “We have requested help from the government for shelter, but we have not received any aid so far. The government provided assistance twice, but it was insufficient. Our Shan IDPs are in a helpless situation. Currently, there have been no donations from external sources.”
A woman from the Aung Mingalar Shan IDP camp in Waingmaw said that, due to the lack of aid for the Shan IDPs, they are in urgent need of food, clothing, blankets, and medicine.
She said, “There were only a few donors. At the beginning, monks and well-off persons provided us with five bags of rice. Each displaced household received one to two pyi of rice. However, we no longer receive rice. It has been two to three months since we last received rice or cooking oil.”
In addition, the IDPs are urging aid organizations to provide assistance, as they are finding it increasingly difficult to survive as the displacement continues.
Shan IDPs who have fled to Myitkyina and Waingmaw said that it is still difficult for them to return home due to ongoing fighting and heightened military tensions in their region.
Sent by NMG