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SAGAING DIVISION – The number of IDPs (Internally Displaced People) in Depayin Township increased by 150 in October 2023 due to offensive attacks and arson attacks by the junta forces and militias, according to the Depayin support group for the IDPs.
“As the number of IDPs increased, the need for assistance also rose. We have to do more tasks, too,” said the person in charge of information and reports.
There have been difficulties in transportation because of the junta council forces’ blocking, and one 24-pyi bag of rice (around 50 kg) costs from about 90,000 to 100,000 Myanmar kyats. The refugees are not only from Depayin but also from the villages in the western part of Shewbo Township, and so the IDP camps have increased and humanitarian assistance is needed.
There are more than 12 IDP camps in Depayin Township, and each holds around 200 to 300 refugees, requiring 6 tins of rice (around 198 kg) daily, according to a member of the Depayin refugee support group.
“They need assistance not for one or two months but for years, and so a lot of supply is necessary. We have to think hard about what to give them to eat tomorrow. The number of IDPs has never decreased and is rising daily,” he added.
Since the locals are able to work only when there is no junta column, the people are financially unstable, according to a refugee called Ms. Pyone, whose house had been burned down by the junta soldiers and is currently in a temporary tent.
“We don’t have a stable job. We have to rely on the rations, such as rice, oil, and chickpeas, supplied by some of the organizations and borrow from the rich. Since the political situation is unstable and I have no job, I can’t earn a living,” she said.
More than 1,000 houses have been destroyed by the junta council soldiers’ arson attacks in Depayin Township. Over 3,000 members of 575 households have fled to IDP camps, according to the IDP support group.