A fourteen-year-old was injured from shrapnel after a shell landed in his village in southern Chin State in an area that has seen heavy fighting between the Myanmar Army and Arakan Army in recent weeks.

Maw Kyaw Htay Oo is in critical condition in Paletwa public hospital where he’s being treated for head injuries.

A local told Khonumthung News the sixth-grader from Ouk Mee Let-wa is unable to speak.

Maw Kyaw Htay Oo’s family is poor and will need help covering his medical bill, the local said.

No-one else was injured when the shell exploded in the village around 8 pm on Tuesday.

All of the villagers from Ouk Thae Ma-wa took refuge in Paletwa town after the explosion.

Fighting between the Burma Army and AA has been breaking out almost every day for two weeks.

Last week, twenty-one students were injured after a shell landed in their primary school in Kha Mwe Chaung, located in Buthidaung township, in northern Rakhine State.

Riverboats from Rakhine State have been prevented from delivering food and petrol to southern Chin State.

Empty of stock, some rice shops in Paletwa town have closed their doors. Food items for sale at other shops have doubled in price.

Petrol costs have also soured.

The fuel increases have prompted the government to reduce electricity in Paletwa from four hours a day to three.

Soe Htet, the spokesperson for Chin State and minister of municipal affairs, asked the Union government for help dealing with the crisis caused by supply shortages.