Many civilians forced from their homes in Paletwa Township are in urgent need of emergency support, a problem that’s only getting worse after fighting between Arakan Army (AA) and State Administration Council (SAC) has started up again in southern Chin State.
According to Salai Myo Hteik, working with the People’s Administration Council in Paletwa District, SAC has been indiscriminately shelling and flying airstrikes after AA started attacking a vital hilltop base overlooking Sami (also spelled as Samee).
Almost all of the town’s residents have fled since the violence began with most people heading north. There’s at least 300 people sheltering in one village, he said.
As residents are obliged to share whatever precious rice and other food they have left with them, their supply will soon be depleted. Salai Myo Hteik said the displaced civilians also need many other things, including healthcare and materials to build shelters.
While many people escaping the latest violence are sheltering in remote villages or the jungle, some people have crossed the border into India’s Mizoram State.
Before the fighting started, 8,000 people were living in Sami: 5,000 regular residents and 3,000 people who fled clashes between AA and the military back in 2018.
The council, represented by civilians opposed to SAC rule, has called for support from UN agencies and individual donors both inside Burma and abroad to help them take care of the thousands of people affected by the conflict in the township, where over 30,000 reside.