Nearly 180,000 people displaced by armed conflict in Myanmar’s western Chin State are in desperate need of food, medicine, and shelter, with the vast majority cut off from regular humanitarian assistance, according to local resistance officials.

The Chinland Council—the resistance-led governing authority in the region—reported that only about 40,000 displaced people currently have direct access to its aid operations, leaving more than 135,000 without consistent support.

“First and foremost, they need support for their livelihoods,” said Salai Za Thawng, Minister of Social Development for the Government of Chinland. “The second major need is tarpaulin sheets for shelter, alongside mosquito nets and medicine. We provide as much as we can, but it is still not enough.”

Fighting following the 2021 military coup has forced residents to flee into jungles, safer rural villages, neighboring Magway and Sagaing regions, and across the border into India's Mizoram State. 

While many sheltering in India wish to return, ongoing military offensives, severe weather, and destroyed infrastructure make returning impossible.

Dr. Sharon Par, Minister of Health for the Chinland administration, noted that when factoring in those impacted by natural disasters alongside regime air raids and artillery strikes, the total number of refugees and internally displaced persons in Chin State approaches 200,000.

Chin resistance forces currently control much of the state, including key border towns and countryside, where they have established local healthcare, education, and administrative systems. 

In response, the military regime has launched sustained ground offensives backed by heavy airstrikes and artillery barrages in an effort to retake lost territory.