More than 30,000 people from Kayah State displaced by fighting are taking refuge in Pinlaung and Hsihseng townships of PaO Self-Administered Zone in southern Shan State with children receiving free school education, local sources report.
There are over 10,000 displaced people in Pinlaung and around 20,000 in Hsihseng, according to the figures released by the respective aid supply committees.
Volunteers have been teaching the children in an IDP camp in Ward (1), Nyaungtaya, Pinlaung Township, for over 20 days. Two makeshift schools have been set up with 120 and over 80 respectively.
“We are helping as much as we can. We provided blankets, mosquito nets and pillows. There are around 800 in our camp, and 700 others in the ward totalling around 1,500. At the camp, food is provided. Rations are provided to the ward. We open two makeshift schools. The children are being taught by the teachers coming together with them and volunteers from the villages here. We are teaching them to kill time and prevent any psychological trauma,” said U Khun Hsan Oo from the aid supply committee in Nyaungtaya Township.
Hsihseng Township has over 23,000 IDPs, over 18,000 of whom are living in downtown areas, according to aid organizations.
In downtown Hsihseng, Zawana Yama Monastery most IDPs while others are housed by local churches. Moreover, some IDPs are being provided accommodation by local homes and guesthouses.
Those who fled to Hsihseng Township has been there since December 21 last year and more are still coming but no one has returned yet.
However, there are some difficulties providing food and accommodation, aid organizations say.
“Toilet is the main problem related to water supply. As our school is on the hill, we have problem with water. It is not a problem for a temporary period. When summer comes, there may be water shortages as well as food shortages. This morning, we called a meeting with the abbot of the monastery to discuss what should we do next month,” said a local helping with the IDPs.
More than 110,000 people have been displaced in Kayah State and Pekhon Township, southern Shan State, according to the figures released by Data for Myanmar on February 4.
