In northern Chin State’s Falam Township, the junta’s military operations have forced more than 20,000 residents, over 3,000 of them children to flee, creating an urgent need for humanitarian aid.
“More than 3,000 of the displaced people are children under 10, and the total number of those fleeing has now passed 20,000. They include residents from the eastern part of Falam Town and communities along the border with India’s Manipur State. The junta is advancing in three separate columns, which means the affected area is very wide. Because of this, people are escaping wherever they can to find safety,” said Salai Timmy, spokesperson for Chin National Organisation/Chin National Defence Force (CNO/CNDF).
The junta’s military columns began advancing from Kale (Kalay) Town in neighboring Sagaing Region, forcing residents in southern Kale Township to flee toward Falam. When the operations reached Falam Township, not only those displaced from Kale but also residents living east of Falam Town and communities along the Manipur border were forced to flee.
The displaced people are now in urgent need of basic food supplies, medicine, blankets, and warm clothes. Fearing that junta columns could arrive at any moment, many of them do not dare to live in villages and are instead taking refuge in makeshift shelters in the forests.
“With the rainy season over and winter here, the cold has become much harsher. The displaced people urgently need blankets, along with food and medicine. They are in great need of this kind of support, so we’re calling on everyone to contribute. Those who want to help can contact the CNO,” said Salai Timmy.
Two junta columns, sent from Kale on October 29, reached Waibula Town in Falam Township, near the Sagaing Region border, on November 3.
About 500 junta soldiers reached Waibula, and roughly 300 of them continued marching along the border with Manipur toward Falam Town, forcing locals along the way to flee.
As of November 17, intense fighting between the advancing junta troops and Chin resistance forces was still ongoing.