Thousands of civilians displaced from their homes following the bombardment of their homes by the Burma Army (BA) and fighting with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) are in need of emergency assistance in Hpakant Township, Kachin State.
According to an anonymous male source, more than 200 Sezin villagers have taken refuge in a school in Mamong since Tuesday 16 August. Residents have given them some food, but they need much more support, says the man who is helping them.
“Some people couldn’t bring their clothes. Some women don’t have extra underwear and we hope donors can provide that,” as well as other items such as mosquito nets and pillows. Of the 226 people housed at the school, 120 are male and 106 are female.
Other people from Sezin who need help have fled to Tarmakhan, Hawngper, Hpakant, Mawsiser and Nammaphit.
On 10 August evening, the BA attacked Sezin with air raids, burning down about 670 houses. A couple of days earlier, the KIA and the People’s Defence Forces (PDF) captured the BA and Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA) camps near the village. On the same day, the groups attacked the Sezin police station around noon.
An anonymous villager said that the KIA had been planning to attack the SNA for some time, but instead attacked BA soldiers who were on their way from Tamakhan to Sezin in July, and that fighting in Hpakant has been frequent since then.
