Residents and authorities in southern Shan State are offering shelter and essential support to individuals displaced by conflict, who have sought refuge in Shan State after fleeing Loikaw Township in Karenni (Kayah) State.
Khun Kyaw Swe, a humanitarian worker from Sisai Township, highlighted that there have been war-displaced individuals relocating to southern Shan State since the previous year. The recent surge in war-displaced people, stemming from the ongoing conflicts in Karenni State, is also receiving extensive assistance to address their needs.
We've been without donor support for a while now, so we're doing our best to offer shelters and assistance to war-displaced individuals. Currently, we can only provide support for a few days per family, as our resources are limited”, he told Kantarawaddy Times.
War-displaced individuals who left Karenni State sought refuge in Taunggyi, Nyaungshwe, Sisai, and Inle in southern Shan State. The locals warmly welcomed these displaced people, who have experienced the traumas of war, and are helping to the best of their abilities.
A local from Inle mentioned that there are individuals who inquire about the villages where war-displaced people are seeking refuge and make challenging journeys to provide support to them.
"Many people call to inquire about helping by donating money. When the villagers learned that war-displaced people were in the village, they sent food to the monasteries where they were staying. Some villages even brought vegetables on boats to provide for their sustenance”, he said.
Some financially comfortable war-displaced individuals opt to rent houses in the townships of southern Shan State. Others rely on accommodations provided by locals in the villages where they have sought shelter.
At the same time, the Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) has invited residents of Loikaw, who fled due to escalating conflict in their hometown, to seek refuge in territories under PNLO control.
Khun Htun, a PNLO official, mentioned that a segment of the war-displaced individuals who reached PNLO-controlled areas have been provided with arrangements for accommodation, food, and other humanitarian assistance to the best extent possible.
"A certain number of displaced people are entering these areas. We're preparing for their accommodation. We've also set up a committee to assist them”, he told Kantarawaddy Times.
Clashes have intensified in Karenni State in the past 10 days due to Operation 11.11, initiated on November 11th. In Loikaw Township, daily clashes persist.
According to Khun Kyaw Swe, the aforementioned humanitarian worker from Sisai, the number of war-displaced people who have sought refuge in Shan State due to recent conflicts has now surpassed 10000, with tens of thousands already sheltering in southern Shan State.
