June 9 marked 15 years since renewed fighting began in Kachin State. Over that period, the number of war-displaced people has not declined but has continued to rise, now standing at nearly 250,000.
Nearly 15 percent of Kachin State’s population—about 1.6 million people—is now displaced.
Fighting between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Myanmar military resumed on June 9, 2011. The conflict has continued since then, with the KIA also engaging in clashes with the junta following the 2021 coup.
The latest update from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ Myanmar branch (UNHCR-Myanmar) on June 1 showed that 244,550 people are displaced in Kachin State, with the number still rising. This represents an increase of around 12,000 over the past year, compared with figures released in June last year, when the total stood at nearly 230,000.
Prior to the 2021 coup, there were around 90,000 displaced people in Kachin State. In the five years since, that figure has increased by roughly 150,000.
Clashes are currently taking place daily in Waingmaw, Bhamo, and Hpakant townships in Kachin State. The junta is also sending reinforcements into the area, raising concerns that the fighting will intensify.
The number of displaced people is expected to rise further, as residents of Shwegu Township were notified on June 8 to evacuate immediately.
Meanwhile, data available up to December last year shows that more than 70,000 previously displaced people have since returned home.
They took risks and returned home due to a combination of factors, including aid suspension, poor living conditions, the closure of refugee camps, scarce job opportunities, and prolonged displacement. Their return was not driven by improved security in their home areas.
Nationwide, the number of displaced people has reached more than 3.7 million in the five years since the coup, with Sagaing Region recording the highest figure at over 1 million. Kachin State ranks seventh among all states and regions in the number of displaced people.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has also halted its assistance, while domestic aid is declining, making it increasingly difficult for displaced people to survive from year to year.
Sai Mai, a spokesperson for Kachin Human Rights Watch (KHRW), called on the international community to provide cross-border humanitarian assistance to displaced people, withhold recognition of the junta’s rule, and take all possible measures to support affected communities.
“We want to call on everyone to recognize those who are truly struggling on the ground, speak up for them, and help them,” she said.
Currently, all Myanmar people, including those displaced by war, hope the country will become stable and achieve lasting peace.
