Kokang, 19 December
More than 2.6 million people have been displaced from the armed conflict and fighting driven by the military coup, reported the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Myanmar.
Since the coup, nearly two million people fled their homes during coup and more than 600,000 people are estimated to have been newly displaced by Operation 1027, and 2.6 million people are currently displaced across Myanmar.
In addition to the fighting between the junta army and armed forces, the military council’s airstrikes and artillery fire in various parts of the country have resulted in civilian deaths and the displacement.
According to UNOCHA-Myanmar, unverified field reports indicate that at least 378 civilians, including men, women, and children, have been killed and 505 have been injured since the escalation began in late October.
More than 660,000 people are estimated to have been newly displaced since then in northern and southern Shan, Kayah, Rakhine, Chin, Sagaing, Mandalay, eastern Bago, Kayin, Mon, and Tanintharyi since the fighting intensified in late October.
In addition, displaced people in northern Shan State fear being forcibly recruited by a depleted junta army.
The UNOCHA-Myanmar reported that commodity prices are rising exponentially due to shortages of goods in Rakhine State, where war is raging again.
Currently, the displaced people are in need of important humanitarian aid such as food, shelter, health services, and civilian safety, according to a statement by UNOCHA-Myanmar.
According to a research group, ISP-Myanmar, more than four million people have internally been displaced since the coup, with the largest number in Sagaing.
News – Than Lwin Times
Photo – The Kokang