Over 7,000 people who fled fighting in Hsihseng Township, in southern Shan State earlier this month are in dire need of food, shelter and essential aid.

Fighting had subsided in Hsihseng Township for a month before resuming in the area of Loihtwea Village in the eastern part of Hsihseng Township. This followed a junta airstrike on 3 August that targeted the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) headquarters in the nearby in Kadugyi Village Tract, just across the township border in Mawkmai Township, southern Shan State.

Fighting between junta soldiers supported by soldiers from the junta-aligned Pa-O National Organisation (PNO) militia and soldiers from the PNLA has now spread to many villages to the East of Hsiseng Town, the administrative centre of the township.

The fighting has caused more than 7,000 villagers from 11 villages to seek refuge in orchards and plantations close to forested areas.

Ma Nan, an official from the Pa-O Youth Organisation (PYO) said: “In the past, Hsihseng residents had to flee their homes due to similar situations, but the current situation has imposed even harsher difficulties on the displaced. This is the crop planting season, and much of their money has been invested in agriculture, leaving them with little to sustain themselves. They face critical shortages of food, shelter, and basic accommodation. The forested areas and plantations where they’ve sought refuge are difficult to access, making it even more challenging to deliver aid.”

Adding to their distress, the displaced residents are living in constant fear due to indiscriminate shelling by junta and their PNO militia allies which regularly targets the areas where they are hiding.

A displaced women said: “Whenever I hear the sound of artillery shells overhead, I’m terrified that they might hit us directly—it sends chills down my spine. We rush to take cover as soon as we hear the shelling. This is the second time we’ve been forced to flee, and I have no idea when we’ll finally be able to live in peace.”

On 7 August, two teenage girls were killed by junta shelling in an area east of Hsihseng Town, according to the PNLA.

Previously, fighting in Hsihseng Township during January and February 2024 killed over 30 civilians, injured nearly 50 and caused residents to temporarily flee their homes.

Currently the junta still holds Hsihseng Township.