Over 1.7 number people forced to flee Military Council offensives - nUN -OCHA report on Displaced People in Myanmar

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on the afternoon of March 21 that more than 1.7 million people have been displaced due to the ongoing conflicts across Myanmar.

Nearly 1.4 million of them are displaced in Myanmar due to the conflict and insecurity that followed the military coup in February 2021 based on the list compiled as of March 13, 2023

The report further stated that the humanitarian needs of the millions who have been displaced due to the ongoing internal conflicts in Myanmar are increasing.

Maw Pray Myar, the second secretary of the Karenni National Women's Organization (KNWO), has remarked on the situation of refugees from Karenni (Kayah) state, which is among the regions with the highest number of displaced people.

“As of the past week or two, the number of IDPs in Karenni State has exceeded 200,000, with the majority concentrated in Demoso Township and Hpruso Township, followed by Pekon and Moebye. There are also people displaced from the border areas. We are concerned that 70-80 percent of these IDPs are elderly, children, women, and disabled individuals,“ she said.

Reports indicate that military operations have intensified in Kachin State, Kayah State, Shan State, and the eastern townships of Bago Region since the beginning of 2023, with a notable increase in ground operations and air strikes.

During that period, the largest number of displaced persons came from Sagaing Region and Chin State in northwestern Myanmar, as well as Kayah and Karen States in the southeast, according to OCHA statistics.

A total of 940,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Sagaing Division and Chin State in northwestern Myanmar, while over 400,000 people have been forced to flee from Karenni and Karen states in the southeast.

Meanwhile Junta forces have forced over 600 internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return home as three IDP camps are dismantled in Kyauktaw Township, Rakhine State, according to IDPs.

According to an IDP from the Mahamuni IDP camp, the Military Council has been pressuring them to return home, despite their fears of doing so. IDPs are concerned about the lack of guarantee for their safety and well-being after repatriation.