Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Pai Khun (Pekon) Township, on the Shan–Kayah State border, are in urgent need of shelter, warm clothing, and medical assistance as temperatures drop with the onset of the cold season.

Since the second week of September, junta troops and the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia have launched fresh offensives in the western part of Pai Khun Township, near the Pai Khun–Pang Laung (Pinlaung) border. The fighting has forced more than 5,000 civilians from around ten villages to flee their homes and seek refuge in forests and mountainous areas. The affected villages include Baw Ran, Hti Ta Maung, Ye Aye Kone, Loi Lon, Ka The, Sa Lone (South), Sa Lone (North), and Ye Chan.

A local aid volunteer told SHAN that displaced families are living in makeshift shelters in remote locations, with limited access to food and basic healthcare. A social worker from Dove KK, a local IDP relief organization, said the most urgent need is for tarpaulins and construction materials to build temporary huts. “We still have about 100 huts left to build for which people have registered. The most urgent requirement is tarpaulins,” the official said. “We follow them to the places they have fled and help them with construction.”

In addition to shelter, displaced families require food, water, warm clothing, blankets, essential medicines, and hygiene and childcare supplies. Aid workers warn that exposure to cold weather could worsen health conditions, particularly among children and the elderly, who remain vulnerable in overcrowded and unsanitary shelters.

Local humanitarian groups note that this marks the third major wave of displacement in Pai Khun Township since early 2024, following repeated clashes between junta troops, the PNO militia, and Karenni revolutionary coalition forces. Road blockages caused by military checkpoints and landslides have further hampered aid delivery, making transportation of essential supplies increasingly difficult. Aid workers warn that any delay could exacerbate the situation as temperatures continue to fall.

Pai Khun Township, located on the border between southern Shan and northern Kayah (Karenni) states, has been one of the most conflict-affected areas since the 2021 coup. Thousands of civilians have been repeatedly displaced amid ongoing clashes between the Myanmar military and allied ethnic resistance groups, leaving communities in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.