Kantarawaddy Times
Due to an intensive offensive launched by the military junta and the PNO People’s Militia in the eastern part of Pekon Township in southern Shan State, many civilians have been forced to flee their homes. Aid workers assisting the displaced report that there is now a growing shortage of safe and sustainable locations where these internally displaced persons (IDPs) can take long-term refuge.
As fighting intensifies and the number of displaced persons continues to rise, the availability of safe and sustainable long-term shelters is rapidly diminishing, according to a member of the Nway Oo Guru Lay Myar humanitarian group who spoke to the Kantarawaddy Times.
“In a situation where fighting is occurring across the entire state, the number of IDPs continues to grow. As a result, the availability of safe places where they can stay for the long term is shrinking. The key challenge on the ground now is whether the shelters they find will remain secure in the long term,” stated a member of Nway Oo Guru Lay Myar.
Villages such as Saung Nan Khaing, Loi Paul, Nam Paw Lon, La Hae, and Pin Ne Kone on the eastern side of Pekon are among those whose residents have fled in search of safety. While ensuring immediate safety remains a top priority for those fleeing, they are now facing subsequent challenges—most urgently, the lack of food supplies.
Currently, as the rainy season sets in, shelter needs are also growing. With the increasing number of IDPs, aid workers are finding it harder to meet basic needs, the relief worker added.
“Whether the areas they flee to can remain secure for the long term is uncertain. And the following challenges—like access to food and adequate shelter—are becoming increasingly difficult to address,” the team member emphasized.
At present, many of the displaced have fled toward Dee Maw Hso and parts of southern Shan State, with reports indicating that thousands have been forced to abandon their homes.
