Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Ywangan Township, southern Shan State, are suffering from widespread skin infections and remain in urgent need of medical aid, local sources said.

The Danu State National Defense Army (DSNDA) reported in a statement on September 26 that junta troops launched an offensive on September 13 into the Ya Ne village tract, setting fire to 23 civilian homes and rice granaries.

Nearly 800 residents from Kyauk Taw village, part of the Ya Ne tract, fled to nearby forests and mountains following the military’s arson attacks. Continuous heavy rain, lack of proper shelter, and food shortages have worsened living conditions, leading to outbreaks of itchy skin diseases, particularly among children and the elderly.

“Since we are fleeing the war, we are not staying in one place. We have to keep moving. Because of the rain and poor living conditions, people are developing itchy sores. There is no medicine, so we search for medicinal roots as advised by the elders. One tin of rice must feed five people,” a DSNDA information officer said.

Locals said the infections are spreading among displaced families due to the lack of proper treatment, affecting people of all ages, from toddlers to the elderly.

Junta troops are reportedly advancing into villages just six miles from Ywangan town. Residents said only one person per household is allowed to visit farms to harvest crops such as beans and betel nuts, and they must carry a recommendation letter for permission.

“If we go to the farms, only one person per family can go. We must carry a recommendation letter. The military is advancing near the betel nut farms, and we are afraid of being arrested,” a woman from Ywangan said.
She added that junta troops patrol almost daily in Tha Hpan Pin, Pei Kin, and Lin Way villages, forcing locals to live in constant fear.

“When a military column comes, there are more than five vehicles. We don’t know where to hide. We are terrified of both the military and the PDFs. The situation is so bad that we don’t even dare to move,” another woman, in her 30s, said.

Whenever the junta and Pa-O National Organization (PNO) forces launch offensives in Ywangan Township, locals report arrests, beatings, and, in some cases, men being used as human shields.

On September 14, junta troops raided Ah Lel Chaung village, detaining two women and eight men. A week later, on September 21, they attacked the Tae Pin Pyaw tract and arrested ten more residents.

Although Ywangan is not included in the first phase of the military council’s planned election in December, residents said junta troops continue to conduct daily “area clearance” operations.