Over 5,000 people from 12 villages displaced in Dawei East District have been trapped since the end of April 2023 and they are facing shortages of food and water.

According to The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), this is due to the junta strictly controlling the distribution of rice and food in the area and the junta targetting the area with artillery airstrikes and small arms.

The Director of an internally displaced people (IDP) support group who did not want to be named said: “Last May alone, more than 3,000 residents fled from the fighting in Dawei District. All the roads leading into the area are being blocked and checked by the junta military, so we have not been able to transport rice and other food items for a long time.

“We have come to a situation where we have to share what we have with each other. Now the nutritional needs of children and older people are increasing. Sickness rates are high among weak children. The most dangerous thing we are concerned about is dengue fever and malaria in this rainy season.”

An East Dawei refugee support group administrator said:“ For the refugees from our side, we are not yet in a position to return. I heard that artillery weapons are being installed in the places where the battalions are stationed. We have had food shortages for a long time, and now more and more households are relying on fruits and vegetables grown in the forest. It is impossible to reach this area because the junta military cut everything.”