Myanmar IDPs

HOME
My dream of home was not so big
Just a place, my favorite space
Full of love, laughter and bliss
Always praying for the sake
My real home is not so big
It’s not grand and great
Scary sounds waken my deep sleep
Wish my little space would be safe
People say that Home Sweet Home
Is the place where love blooms?
But now, only fear has grown
Where is our Home Sweet Home?
___
– Ray, an IDP youth committee –
Loikaw, Kayah State

“This sling shot is a piece of home for me.
Wherever I go, it is always with me. I go hunting birds with this. I free cattle with the help of this sling shot. I feel safe when I hold this and when the danger is about to come, this is the weapon I can use to protect myself.”
—
– JB, 15 year old IDP –
Demoso, Kayah State

”I miss my best friend. Her name is Nan Z. P. and we were very close and shared everything we have. After being an IDP for more than two months, I have never seen or heard news from her. This beautiful pink dress that she gives me is a piece of home and it reminds me of the happy and peaceful time we have together before the coup.”
—
– Sue, an IDP –
Pekhon, Southern Shan State

“For me, home has never been certain as there are many armed conflicts happening everywhere after the coup. But for us, “a cooking pot and a match” are a very important piece of the house. Because wherever we are, when we flee from armed conflicts, this pot and a match are necessary for us. We need them to cook food to survive. We can boil drinking water and cook food. And by lighting the fire, match provides us warmth.”
—
– A refugee returnee woman who is now redisplaced after the Feb 1 coup. –
Kayah State

“When I heard the word HOME, I imagine the tent that I am living in.
Even though it has no full facilities like my house from the village, it currently gives us warmth and protects us from getting wet. It has the shadow of HOME, and it is the present HOME for me.”
—
– Ne, an IDP –
Demoso, Kayah State

“According to my experience, tarpaulin is a piece of home when we were displaced.
We need it to build temporary tent and it’s easier to bring along with us whenever we move. It can provide a place for my family to stay and sleep. It also protects us from the rain and makes us warm.”
—
– Phaw, an IDP –
Loikaw, Kayah State

The recent political turmoil in Myanmar caused by the military regime’s takeover of the government pushed back the development in Myanmar. Food insecurity, inflation, and poverty are expected to increase,  on top of the effects of the now neglected COVID-19 pandemic in the country.   

Critics of the coup and their families are pursued by the military junta and are subject to abduction, warrantless arrest, and sexual violence and torture in detention. There are numerous reports of military attacks and use of heavy weaponry against innocent civilians and civilian properties, especially in hardest hit areas like Kayah state, that may constitute war crimes. Places of worship and the clergy are not spared from the attacks. Civilians in some villages resort to fighting back the military with their hand-made weapons. 

Myanmar is at risk of mass death due to starvation, disease, and exposure if no aid reaches internally displaced persons (IDPs).  Across the country, IDPs need shelter, water, food, fuel, and healthcare. These communities reported shortage of food, educational resources, and health services.  

Displacements also reach the Thailand border, with Mae Hong Son province showing the most number of border crossings. Refugees at the Thai-Myanmar border are pushed back.