Armed clashes between the military regime and combined PDF and KIA forces in Nawngkio Township on 10 February have displaced more than 150 people. These IDPs have been sheltering in a Buddhist monastery for three days and are in need of humanitarian assistance.

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The 150 people were displaced from Lon Khan, Ner Hker, Khur Ning and Pieng Nyo villages in Nawngkio Township. They have now taken shelter in a Buddhist monastery in Ho Kho village. Local people who are helping the IDPs said that the most urgent needs are food rations and warm clothing.

“They have taken shelter in the Buddhist monastery for three days. The Abbot and villagers have provided some food rations to these IDPs, but the food available is not enough for all of them,” a local man (source 1), who is helping the IDPs, told SHAN.

The 150 IDPs fled from four villages during armed clashes that included military regime artillery fire and aerial attacks from jet fighters. Local people reported that a Buddhist monastery and two civilian houses in Lon Khan village were damaged by the Military Council’s air attack.

“Two civilian houses and a Buddhist monastery were damaged by the airstrikes. There is probably more property damage in the village but we did not observe it. I heard that there were some causalities but we don’t have any updated information about that,” he (source 1) told SHAN.

A local man (source 1) said that even though there are currently no clashes in the area, military tensions remain high between military regime and the PDF and KIA combined forces, meaning that the IDPs are unable to return to their villages.

In August 2022, armed clashes between military regime and PDF soldiers in Nawngkio Township displaced more than 1,000 people from Khur Ning, Ho Kho and Kalar Kwe villages.

Despite announcing a country-wide ceasefire from 1 January to 31 December 2023, the military regime continues to engage in armed clashes across the country.