Around 700 people displaced by airstrikes in the Ye Chaunghpyar area of Ye Township, Mon State, are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, according to aid workers assisting conflict-affected communities.
A Mon humanitarian worker said approximately 700 residents from Kinmun, Chaungnakwa, Upper Yitchaung, Lower Yitchaung, and Tel Pya villages have fled their homes after the military junta carried out two consecutive airstrikes and continued daily aerial surveillance over the area.
“We have not yet completed an exact population count. Based on the assistance we have provided so far, there are between 650 and 700 displaced people. Some return to their villages briefly during the daytime, but they are too afraid to stay overnight and instead shelter in other locations,” he said.
The displaced residents have sought refuge in forests, plantations, Kalaungkani, Kyaung Ywar, and Ye Town, according to aid workers.
Most of the displaced people are currently staying in groups at a monastery and nearby plantations in Cheit Taik Village, where they are in need of food, medicine, and shelter materials.
“Many of them have gathered in Cheit Taik. At the moment, they urgently need rice, basic food supplies, medicines, and shelter materials. There are also concerns that military junta checkpoints are becoming stricter, making it more difficult to transport food supplies from Ye to the area,” he said.
Aid workers said assistance has been limited so far, forcing many displaced families to rely on the food and money they managed to bring with them when they fled. They warned that conditions could become more difficult if displacement continues for an extended period.
A resident of the Ye Chaunghpyar area said military aircraft have been flying over the area almost daily for more than two weeks, conducting surveillance flights during both daytime and nighttime hours.
“The aircraft do not follow any regular schedule. Sometimes they fly around 1 p.m., sometimes at night, even around 10 or 11 p.m. The flights happen every day,” the resident said.
As a result, many residents have not yet returned home, while others who remain in their villages may also be forced to flee, the resident added.
On May 27, the military junta carried out airstrikes on Kinmun Village and nearby areas. It also launched another aerial attack near Chaungnakwa Village on June 3, resulting in civilian deaths.
