More than 1.5 million people have been displaced by clashes and insecurity since February 2021, bringing the total number of displaced people across Myanmar to over 1.8 million, according to a statement released by OCHA Myanmar.   

There were over 328,000 people internally displaced due to conflict prior to February 2021, mainly in Rakhine, Kachin, Chin, and Shan states.

The security and humanitarian situations in Myanmar have continued to worsen amid ongoing fighting across multiple states, particularly in Kachin, the Northwest and Southeast, OCHA Myanmar pointed out.

IDPs are in urgent need of critical and lifesaving assistance. Humanitarian partners on the ground are responding to their needs, using various modalities in the face of mounting restrictions and risks.

Although moves continue to close IDP camps in various parts of the country, including Kachin, Shan, Chin and Rakhine, many IDPs report that they do not feel safe returning to their places of origin due to ongoing fighting, explosive ordnance risks, interruptions to services and lack of livelihoods, the statement said.

In northern Shan, the closure of 15 IDP camps in Kutkai, Namhkan and Namtu townships is underway, and in southern Shan, displaced families from Kayah who were displaced in Nyaungshwe township had to move to other sites in April.

Humanitarian partners continue to provide critical and lifesaving assistance to affected and displaced people across the country, prioritizing 4.5 million out of the 17.6 million people in need in 2023, OCHA Myanmar reported.