Internally displaced people (IDPs) taking shelter in the forest areas around Mobye (Mongpai) in southern Shan State near the border with Karenni (Kayah State),are facing a risk of food supplies running out soon.

Since the military coup in 2021, the fighting between the Military Council and the local joint peoples defense forces (PDFs) in Mobye has escalated , forcing the locals to flee. The problem of food scarcity is growing because the IDPs are unable to return to their homes and gather food, a displaced local told the Shan Herald.

“Clashes occur more frequently these days. The Military Council is firing artillery almost every day, so it is difficult to go back to the villages and get food. We only dare to return to our villages when the shelling stops. Recently, four or five artillery rounds are regularly fired every day, so we are afraid to go back to our villages. But we have to take risks and return to grab some food, if the situation is a little calmer”, he said.

Fighting in the region has intensified since late September. Later the Military Council troops stationed on Kone Thar Mountain were firing artillery into Kone Thar Village almost every day.

“Sometimes, when the artillery stops, I run back to the village like a daredevil to get what I need. No one knows when the artillery will fire again. Even if the shell hits me directly and I die, all I can say is this is just Karma. Last time I returned to the village, I found 2 artillery shells fell inside and another 5 outside the village”, a Kone Thar Villager said.

Now the food stockpile for the IDPs is only enough left for a week. The refugees said that if they do not receive food aid in time they will run out of food. There are nearly 5000 IDPs fleeing the war in the forested areas around Mobye.

IDPs were receiving food aids from the IDP-assisting Committee until September, but when the fighting intensified, the transportation routes became difficult, and it has been more than a month since last time they received outside aid.