More than 2,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) seeking refuge in Nanmati Town, Mogaung Township, Kachin State, due to fighting in Hpakant Township in the same state, urgently need food, shelter, and medical aid.
Most of the IDPs sheltering in the temporary camp at the Nanmati Sugar Factory compound are members of the La War Village Catholic Church and villagers from Khunsaiyang. Their situation has worsened due to flooding caused by heavy downpours during the rainy season, an IDP from the camp reported.
“The members of La War Village Catholic Church are staying in the sugar factory compound. It’s a low-lying area that floods every time there’s heavy rain. There’s no proper drainage, so the water drains really slowly, which makes things even tougher. All the IDPs are struggling with food and shelter, and we also don’t have enough bathrooms and toilets,” he told KNG.
Last month, about 200 additional IDPs from Namya Village and nearby settlements near La War Village arrived at the camp, further increasing the demand for shelter.
While IDPs struggle with food and shelter, they are also battling diarrhea and other illnesses linked to the rainy season.
“Since it’s a low-lying area, it’s prone to flooding. People are getting sick too, and everyone is just trying their best to deal with these problems on their own,” another IDP said.
Kanhla Village near Nanmati Town is also sheltering some IDPs who fled from Hpakant Township villages like La War, Khunsaiyang, and Jahtu Zup. While they aren’t dealing with flooding like those at the sugar mill compound, they still face the same urgent needs for food, medicine, shelter, and proper bathroom and toilet facilities.
Nanmati Town and its surrounding villages host seven IDP camps in total. The displaced people are from villages along the Myitkyina-Hpakant Highway, such as La War, Khunsaiyang, Jahtu Zup, Namya, and Warazut.
The number of IDPs in Nanmati has now surpassed 2,000 due to the ongoing fighting along the Myitkyina-Hpakant Road.
Some IDPs sheltering in Nanmati fled as early as March, even before the fighting in Hpakant started, after junta troops burned down their homes and the situation in their villages grew unstable.
The junta-appointed Kachin State Chief Minister, Khet Htein Nan, has already visited the IDPs in Nanmati Town twice and donated basic food staples like rice, oil, salt, and onions, according to the IDPs.
These IDPs are primarily relying on support from religious organizations and a few local businessmen to survive.
IDPs have been living in Myitkyina and Waingmaw townships in Kachin State since 2011. Over the years, some have managed to return home, but the military conflicts that reignited after the junta’s coup in 2021 have hampered these efforts. This year, fighting between the junta and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) around Nanmati and Hpakant has forced even more people to flee.
