Nearly 500 internally displaced people including young children who have fled again from their refugee camps in Kutkai Township, Muse District, northern Shan State, following sporadic clashes involving the Myanmar Army and ethnic armed groups such as KIA, TNLA and MNDAA and artillery shelling are in need of food, according to charity organizations. 

An artillery shell fell into Kongyan refugee camp in Honaung Village-tract on July 16 and another shell into Zutaung refugee camp in Galai Village in Kutkai Township on June 17. Consequently, the IDPs in those camps had to leave. 

“They are all who took shelter at those two camps. But with fighting looming, sporadic clashes and shelling that caused some casualties, the IDPs had to flee again to downtown areas,” said a man helping the IDPs. 

Over 200 people in 56 households from Kongyan refugee camp are staying at the hilly missionary school in Kutkai and they, especially children, are in urgent need of food, said an IDP.

Moreover, around 200 IDPs from Zutaung refugee camp are taking shelter at the Roman Catholic Church in Ward-3, Kutkai.

The chairman of Byamaso social aid organization said efforts would be made to provide assistance for the IDPs after holding a meeting with townselders, charity organizations and township officials and forming a committee.

A shell that fell into Zutaung refugee camp at about 10.15 am on June 17 killed three people and injured two others. Another shell into Kongyan refugee camp on the evening of June 16 wounded a man.