Around 1,000 local residents forced to flee during the IB 123 camp-seizure battle in Namhpatkar, food and medical supply in need

During the camp seizing battle of Infantry Battalion 123 camp between Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Terror Military Council at Namhpatkar village, Kutkai township in northern Shan State, around 1000 local residents were forced to flee the fighting and they are in need of food and medical supply.

On December 29, 2023, around 5:00 a.m., fierce fighting between the Terror Military Council and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) began, and as a result of the fighting, Namhpatkar residents had to flee to nearby areas.

An IDP woman from Loi Taw Zedi said, “We have been here for long time. It is not ok to gather people in other village for being afraid of the bombing from the aircrafts. So, we have to stay separately. As there is no group assisting us, we are in lack of food. We cannot go back home to take food. So, we had to eat whatever we could bring. Some villagers from Loikan village are very pity. They were looking for food hanging bamboo basket on their shoulders crying in tears. They are quite pitiful. If there are group helping us, we are very happy. Some assistance groups helped based on ethnicity, so people in other ethnicity have nothing to eat and they were even crying.”

The IDPs who are at the side of Loi Taw Zedi and Homaw, Loi Khom, Winkapar villages are Chinese, Burman, Kachin and Ta’ang and according to the data collected by TWO, they are altogether about 300 including monks. 

Another Loikan resident to Ta’ang Women’s Organization while helping them with food said, “We the whole village of Loikan made huts near the forest below the Homaw village. As it is too far, nobody could come and help us. The road only allow to use motorbikes. As the whole village was damaged, some people may not have place to stay even they could go home. Here is very cold. Some elderly people got sick. They were treated only with the medicine they could bring. For food, it is ok if we have rice, we can find other meals in the jungle.” 

The residents of Namhpatkar who have fled due to the fighting are mostly children and the elderly, and there are around 600 people in Mongyu Lay village and more than 100 people from Khomong village and are still in need of food and medicine, TWO has been told.

Photo – Ta’ang Women’s Organization

#Local Resident

#IDP

#Namhpatkar

#Battle