Nearly 40,000 Displaced in Paletwa Still Unable to Return Home
Arakan Times (22-November-2024)
Ongoing conflict in southern Chin State’s Paletwa Township, home to approximately 100,000 people, has displaced over 40,000 residents since clashes began between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA). Humanitarian workers report that many of the displaced have yet to return home due to ongoing risks and a lack of basic resources.
Clashes first erupted in Paletwa in 2015, with intensified fighting in 2018 forcing large-scale displacement. Renewed violence in 2023 and early 2024 has left many communities displaced for years. Despite a current lull in hostilities, unexploded landmines, limited livelihood options, and food insecurity prevent many from resettling.
A humanitarian aid worker said, “The displacement started in March 2015. By 2018, the situation worsened. Fighting resumed in late 2023 and January 2024, making it unsafe for anyone to return. Many have now been displaced for nearly five years. Even though active fighting has subsided, landmines remain, and agriculture—the main livelihood here—is impossible. Food prices are extremely high: rice costs between 150,000 and 200,000 kyats per sack. This economic strain, along with safety concerns, deters people from going back.”
“Around March 2015, displacement began in Paletwa due to initial skirmishes. By 2018, the situation escalated into severe conflict. Then, during late 2023 and into January 2024, the entire Paletwa area fell into chaos, forcing many to flee. For most of us, it’s been over 4 to 5 years living as displaced persons. The latest wave of displacement has lasted around 10 to 11 months now. There are still armed ethnic groups present in the area, so we can only speak generally about the situation. People are worried about bombings or the potential for renewed clashes. Currently, the situation makes it impossible to work or sustain livelihoods. With the lack of mine clearance, the community remains in constant danger, and this fear prevents people from returning home.
Most of them rely on agriculture for their livelihoods, and without access to their farmlands, survival becomes extremely difficult. In those regions, even when a sack of rice costs 100,000 MMK in Yangon, it costs 150,000 to 200,000 MMK there. Commodity prices are incredibly high, adding to the community’s struggles. People are worried about both survival and stable living conditions, which makes them reluctant to return.
The major concern is education. Children in those areas can’t even attend school, which is a critical issue for their future,” a displaced person explained to Arakha Times.
The AA captured Paletwa on January 14, 2024, following a two-month campaign targeting military outposts in the area. Paletwa residents displaced by fighting in 2018 were forced to flee again due to the renewed conflict, said a local resident, U Nyo Aung.
A local resident explained, “The main areas affected are Sami town and surrounding areas, Paletwa town, and several villages near the Indian border. Of the roughly 100,000 residents in these areas, around 40,000 have fled their homes. However, this figure isn’t exact. After 2023, the number of new displacements alone might range between 25,000 and 30,000. Earlier, the numbers weren’t as high. Most of those displaced are from Paletwa town and nearby villages. Some have fled to Mizoram in India, while others have sought refuge in Yangon and other parts of Myanmar. Communication lines, including phone and internet, have been cut off, and the lack of humanitarian aid is worsening the situation for those left behind,” he said.
