More than a thousand civilians from eight villages in Hpruso Township, Karenni State are in urgent need of assistance after they were recently displaced from their homes by fighting.

”We don’t have enough plastic to protect ourselves from the rain,” said a man affected by the violence. He said some of the senior citizens and children have already fallen ill, but there’s neither medication in their jungle camp nor cellular service to call anyone.

The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) and the Karenni Army (KA) clashed with a column of 300 Burma Army soldiers between 8 and 12 October.

Fighting has affected the villages of Dor Poe Shay, Prel Taw, Htar Le, Tanor Kalaw, Law Kyay Khu, Dor Kalaw Le, Dor Sel Khu and Bu Khu.

BA soldiers have occupied some of these places, killed the villagers’ livestock and destroyed their rice supplies, according to a KNDF officer from Battalion 4. There are also more soldiers in the surrounding mountains, but he couldn’t say exactly how many.

KNDF’s spokesperson warned against villagers returning home at this time.

“It’s not the right time for IDPs to go to their villages. The BA are still in the area and I think more clashes are likely. If they return, the soldiers will arrest and kill them. It’s better if they hide in a safe place for a while longer,” he told Kantarawaddy Times.

The military has sent many soldiers, weapons and food during its offensive in the townships Hpruso and Bawlakhe, which began earlier this month. It wants to gain complete control of the road from Bawlakhe to Loikaw.