U Aye Win, Spokesperson of the United Nations said that the representatives of UN agencies went to the Kachin Independent Organization (KIO) headquarter in Laiza Township, Kachin state on September 7, to provide 3000 war refugees with food supplies for a month.

The UN agencies also provided the refugees with hygenic material and medicines, besides food supplies.  

“We finally got the opportunity to support the refugees. We have been trying to help them for a long time”, said U Aye Win.

The UN provided aid for Kachin war-refugees for the first time in December, 2011 and this was the second time that they were able to provide assistance.

Earlier, the government denied permission to UN agencies to travel and provide aid to the Kachin refugees within the KIO controlled territory. However, this time the government has granted permission. U Dwe Pi Sar, the Chief at the KIO Refugee Relief Committee of the KIO believes that this as a result of the Peace talks between the KIO and the government.

Colonel Zaw Raw from the KIO said that although the UN agencies have provided 3000 refugees with basic provisions, there are about 70 thousand refugees left within the KIO controlled area and over 20 thousand in Laiza Township alone.

26 representative from UN agencies such as World Food Program (WFP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) went to Laiza to distribute supplies from September 7-9.

KIO officers surmised that the UN agencies were collected data on the needs of refugees before they left the refugee camps.