Approximately 3,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from four villages in western Pekon Township, southern Shan State, near the Karenni (Kayah) State border, who fled following arson attacks by junta troops, are in urgent need of assistance, particularly shelter.
In the first half of October, junta troops entered Salone (South), Salone (North), Upper Bawyan, and Lower Bawyan villages in Pekon Township, burning homes and clashing with Karenni resistance forces, triggering mass displacement of residents.
On October 13, fighting broke out between junta forces and Karenni resistance coalition troops around two Bawyan villages, after which junta troops began deploying in nearby villages. The junta has also fired indiscriminate artillery across the area daily.
Villagers fleeing the junta's arson attacks were evacuated with assistance from Karenni resistance forces and IDP-aid organizations, according to an officer from the Pa-O National Defence Force - Kham Koung (PNDF-KK).
“There are thousands of IDPs. We’ve arranged shelters in various locations, but many still lack proper accommodation. Some have had to seek refuge in forests and farmland,” said a resistance fighter assisting the displaced villagers.
The IDPs are currently taking shelter in villages, IDP camps, and forests along the Shan-Karenni border. They need roofs, timber, and bamboo to build temporary shelters, an official from Jobs For Kayah said.
“Many people are staying in tiny, makeshift shacks by the roadside, and some don’t have any shelter at all. Nearly everyone is in need of assistance,” he told Shan Herald. The IDPs’ most urgent need right now is shelter, but they also require food, he added. In addition, there are healthcare needs, as many of the 3,000 IDPs are children and elderly.
The recent displacement marks the third time residents of two Salone villages and two Bawyan villages have been forced to flee due to fighting between junta - Pa-O National Organisation (PNO) alliance, and the Karenni resistance coalition.
photo credit - CJ
