Residents of Warazut Village in Kachin State’s Hpakant Township who fled fighting and were sheltering in nearby forest started returning home on 18 May 2025 as the rainy season started.

In early March 2025, around 1,000 residents of Warazut fled to avoid junta airstrikes, following a 16 February airstrike on Warazut Village that killed 27-year-old Ko Labyan Mai, completely destroyed a house and damaged two others, despite there being no fighting in the area at the time.

Some villagers fled to Hpakant Town, but most fled to the forest near  the village. Those sheltering in the forest faced increasing livelihood challenges and difficulties getting clean drinking water.

In mid-May there was a temporary calm in the fighting and airstrikes on Warazut Village. As the rainy season had already started and was making surviving in the forest even harder, about 30 households decided to take a risk and return to Warazut Village, despite them still having some concerns about their safety in the village. Other families decided to stay in the forest, according to a source close to the Warazut villagers.

The source said: “Now that the rainy season has arrived, it’s become really difficult for people to keep taking refuge in the forest. Some still don’t dare to return home and are staying in the woods. Since some locals came back, there haven’t been any clashes near the village. The situation has calmed down, and those still hiding in the forest also want to return. Some villagers fled to Hpakant town and are staying there, but they haven’t been able to come back yet because travel conditions are tough right now.”

To make matters worse, whilst the villagers were away, an unidentified disease spread amongst the cattle left behind in the village, killing some of them. The displaced owners of some of the cattle have also returned so that they can try to get treatment for their sick cattle.