About 480 civilians have been killed by regime airstrikes, shelling, and gunfire since resistance forces launched their 1111 Operation to force out the junta from Loikaw, the capital of Karenni State, and Paikhun (aka Pekon) in southern Shan State.

U Khun Banyar, the director of the Karenni Human Rights Group, said those victims included many children and women, and that 800 people who have been injured are receiving treatment in local clinics.

Although most residents of Loikaw fled after the operation began on November 11, some people have stayed behind, where they remain at risk. There are also those who did not flee far and are in nearby villages. In both cases, due to their proximity to the fighting, they are difficult to reach to provide humanitarian aid.

“We want them to leave the town and have told them this. There are two reasons why they should leave. The first reason is that there is no security guarantee for these people. They are in danger. The second reason is that it’s so difficult to send them food rations,” Banyar told SHAN.

There are more than 420,000 people who are internally displaced in Karenni and southern Shan states.