People have fled their homes in many townships in Rakhine State and southern Chin State due to the ongoing fighting, announced the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA Myanmar) on October 26.

Civilian deaths, the destruction of civilian property and the displacement of people from their homes are continuing due to the fighting going on all over the country, and humanitarian needs are increasing, OCHA Myanmar said.

There have been civilian casualties and people fleeing their homes due to the ongoing fighting in several townships, including Buthidaung, Kyauktaw, Maungdaw and Minbya in Rakhine State and Palatwa in southern Chin State Stone, according to OCHA Myanmar.

OCHA Myanmar said in a statement that major roads and waterways between the townships and Sittwe in northern Rakhine state have been blocked and traffic has been restricted, preventing humanitarian aid from reaching those in need.

In addition, it is known that the use of waterways between Sittwe and Pauktaw townships has been suspended indefinitely since October 19, it said.

Similarly, OCHA Myanmar's statement stated that due to the ongoing fighting in the northwest and southeast of Myanmar, humanitarian needs are occurring and the protection of the lives and livelihoods of civilians is still a major threat.

Humanitarian organizations have continued to provide emergency and social relief assistance to people who have been displaced due to conflict, and people in restricted areas to help reach the affected people, it said.

According to the latest statistics of the United Nations as of October 17, there have been nearly 1.4 million people who have fled their homes throughout Myanmar. Among them, more than one million people have fled their homes due to conflict and insecurity after February 2021, and more than 330,400 people have been displaced due to previous conflicts, most of them are from Rakhine State, OCHA Myanmar said in a statement.