Yangon, October (27)
More than 1.6 million internally displaced persons fled the violent conflict between October 19 of this year and February 1 of last year when the military seized power, according to the data released on October 25 by the Institute for Strategy and Policy (ISP-Myanmar).
According to ISP-Myanmar data, more than one million refugees have been displaced in the ten months up to October 19, 2022, as fighting escalates.
As a result of the military coup, Sagaing Region, which had the highest number of refugees fleeing their homes owing to the armed conflict, accounted for 41% of the overall number of IDPs, reaching over 680,000.
A person helping refugees in Sagaing told Than Lwin Times that due to the coup, rice cannot be grown in some areas, so there is a shortage of food and they have to share food with each other.
In Sagaing, a stronghold of the revolution forces against the military dictatorship, junta troops have been carrying out widespread airstrikes, destroying houses and buildings.
A local resident said that they are currently facing a crisis due to the military conflict and that if the revolution continues for a long time, the situation will become even worse for those escaping the conflict.
According to ISP-Myanmar data, there have been at least 497,000 IDPs since before the coup.
Furthermore, the total number of refugees who escaped across the border into Bangladesh, India, and Thailand has surpassed one million, both before and after the military takeover.
This information was compiled by ISP-Myanmar citing statements from independent media and civil society organizations, and the actual figure on the ground may be higher.
News – Than Lwin Times
Thanlwintimes