In a statement on Friday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said the latest figures put the total number of people displaced inside Myanmar due to the conflict between the two sides at around 90,000.
Violence in Myanmar is escalating. Photo: AP
The statement said 11 people have been killed and more than 30 injured since an informal ceasefire agreed a year ago broke down on November 13. More than 100 people have been arrested by the MAF and five by the AA.
Battles between Myanmar's military and rebel groups have taken place almost daily across the country since General Min Aung Hlaing seized power in February 2021, plunging the country into economic chaos and a new civil war.
The latest fighting began when the AA reportedly attacked two border posts near the town of Maungdaw, close to the border with Bangladesh. The two sides had previously agreed to an informal ceasefire in November 2022, according to the UN.
The UN added that there were reports of MAF shelling of AA-controlled areas and the army had launched at least one operation supported by air and naval forces.
The statement said most humanitarian activities had been suspended due to the fighting and “almost all roads and waterways” between towns in Rakhine state had been blocked.
Air strikes and ground attacks on what the Myanmar military calls “terrorist” targets have been frequent since 2021, killing thousands of civilians, including children, according to monitoring groups.
Mai Van (according to CNN)
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