Resumed fighting causes food insecurity in regions of Myanmar
Aug 23, 2011
With resumed fighting between the Myanmar government and the rebel Kachin Independence Army after a 17-year cease fire, many are fleeing their homes, leaving humanitarian groups to worry about food security, IRIN reports.
Since fighting started up again in the Kachin region of the country, some 25,000 people have been displaced. About 15,000 have taken refuge along the Burmese-Chinese border, according to the news outlet.
This couldn't have come at a worse time for farmers in the region who had to abandon their crops during a critical time of year, according to a local humanitarian group. Farmers in the affected area tend to grow their rice paddy crops between June and August.
"If they cannot harvest their farms and paddy fields this season, how will they cover their family's food needs next year?" Mai Ja, a spokeswoman for the Kachin Women's Association Thailand, said to the news outlet.
"Even if the fighting stops, we will face a food crisis for one or two years," she added.
WFP has since started to distribute rice and clean water to those displaced in Kachin. The organization will continue to bring goods to others who fled once camps are set up.