Over 2,000 displaced people (IDPs) from Lashio Town who are sheltering in Aungban Township, southern Shan State are in urgent need of food.

People from Lashio town have been fleeing to Aungban Township since the first week in July, after the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) started its offensive against the junta forces stationed in the town, on 2 July.

The more than 2,000 IDPs from Lashio Town now in Aungban Township are sheltering in Loi Maw Monastery or have pitched tents in residents’ yards and gardens. A person providing assistance to the IDPs in the Township expressed concern that though the IDPs urgently need food supplies there are no donors providing them with assistance.

He said: “With no donors available, some families have run out of food. Some have even had to sell their motorcycles to buy food and are struggling to survive. They frequently call for help, but with no donors, they can’t receive any help. It’s uncertain how long they can survive without food.”

The IDPs in Aungban Township face difficulties which are being exacerbated because it is the rainy season. Job opportunities are scarce, there is a shortage of food and clothing and many do not even have enough money to return home.

Over one thousand other IDPs have also come to shelter in Aungban Township from the Shan-Karenni border, Panglaung (ပၢင်လွင်း) Township in southern Shan State and other areas of northern Shan State. They are staying in monasteries, relatives’ houses, and rented rooms.

People from Lashio Town have also fled to the towns of Namlan, Tangyan, Mongyai, Mong Kung, Mong Hsu, Laihka, Panglong, Namsang and Taunggyi. Many of those are also in urgent need of food assistance according to people helping them.