Arakan News Agency
The number of displaced people in Kyaukphyu town, Arakan state, western Myanmar, has exceeded 22,000, as fighting continues to escalate between the Arakan Army (separatists) and the Myanmar Army, according to the Kyaukphyu Emergency Relief Committee.
The committee’s chairman, Ko Aung Aung, stated that the number of displaced people has increased significantly since the Arakan Army launched its attack in the region. He pointed out that by the end of June, the number of displaced individuals had reached 22,308.
He explained that displacement began when the area was subjected to heavy artillery shelling by the Myanmar Army before the fighting started in 2024, forcing about 8,000 people to flee initially. However, the continued battles have caused the number to double.
He noted that the displaced currently live in temporary tents set up on empty land and are in urgent need of food, shelter, clothing, and medical care, highlighting that food is the most pressing need.
“Our committee provides food aid such as rice, but there’s a continuous need for oil, salt, flour, dried chili, and onions. Despite our efforts, the support remains insufficient due to limited resources”, he continued.
The city is witnessing intense battles between the Arakan Army and the Myanmar Army, which uses all available weapons, including land, air, and sea bombardment.
The clashes are currently taking place in areas like “Bain Sai Kay” near Police Battalion 32, “Mala Kyun” area, and “Kab Tha Pyay” area near the naval headquarters in “Thit Pauk Town.”
Kyaukphyu is a strategic center for Chinese energy projects, as gas pipelines from Arakan and oil coming from the Middle East heading to China’s Yunnan Province pass through it.
According to estimates by the Arakan Army’s Humanitarian and Development Cooperation Office (HDCO), the number of displaced people in various towns in Arakan state has exceeded 600,000 so far.
The conflict in Kyaukphyu dates back to February 20 and has continued to this day, where the area has witnessed intense battles, including clashes in the valley between the villages of “Bri Sai Kay” and “Nan Phyet Taung,” near Kyaukphyu Police Battalion, as well as near the village of “Bain Sha.”
Media and relief reports have indicated that the fighting between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army in Kyaukphyu City caused more than 20,000 civilians to flee their homes within just two weeks.
Arakan is a battleground between the Myanmar Army and the Arakan Army since the latter launched a campaign to control it in November 2023. The conflict has exacerbated the suffering of the Rohingya, tens of thousands of whom have been displaced internally, while hundreds of thousands have fled towards Bangladesh to escape violence, persecution, and forced recruitment by both sides, after previously being subjected to a campaign of genocide by the Myanmar Army in 2017.
