Food supplies cannot be transported through Chinese territory to over 70,000 Kachin Internally Displaced People (IDPs) staying along the Sino-Myanmar border because of a war game being conducted by the army of the People’s Republic of China.

Rev. Dr. Hkalam Samson from Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) said, “China bans our usual transport of food supplies to the IDP camps along the border. We can do nothing. Now the ban has been over two weeks so we have difficulties in supplying food such as rice and other basic foodstuffs to these camps.”

He added that people in these camps badly need food and Kachin religious groups and organizations helping IDPs would hold a meeting to try to address the issue.

International organizations and UN agencies are assisting IDP camps along Sino-Myanmar border by sending food. Currently nearly 80,000 IDPs are taking refuge at IDP camps in Kachin Independence Army (KIA) controlled areas and over 60,000 IDPs are staying in camps in government-controlled area.