Five pregnant women, two of whom are close to giving birth, are among the hundreds hiding in the forest after regime forces burnt down the village of Kinma in Magway Region earlier this week.
The fleeing villagers, who are mostly sleeping rough under the trees or in tents, are in desperate need of medical supplies, a resident of a nearby village who went to give aid to the displaced told Myanmar Now.
“No one can get out, they’re all in groups here and there in the forest. Two pregnant women are close to giving birth, not even a month away,”the resident said.
The displaced also include about 90 children under the age of five and 27 breastfeeding babies, he said, adding that the villagers also need baby formula.
Fifteen of the villagers are suffering from diseases, including heart, kidney, and stomach conditions, arthritis and breast cancer.
“Most importantly, they need medical supplies and treatment,” the resident added. “There are people who are ill… nearby villages are providing support.”
As well as their homes, the displaced villagers lost stocks of rice and other food, crops and livestock in Tuesday’s arson attack.
“We’re living under trees, only some people have tents,” one of the displaced villagers told Myanmar Now. “Just barebone living.”
About 500 of those displaced are staying in nearby villages and the rest are hiding in the forest. Those who were able to went back to Kinma to salvage some possessions, fearing there may be another fire.
Before the fire, Kinma had around 230 houses and 1,000 residents. Now only about 30 homes remain.
An elderly married couple, 88-year-old Mya Maung and 82-year-old Kyi Hmein, were burned to death in the fire.
The military has blamed “terrorists” for the fire and said regime forces worked to extinguish it.
“When security forces arrived to arrest people selling explosives and handmade guns in Kinma village, armed terrorists opened fire near the village and set fire to the village houses,” a report published in several military-controlled newspapers on Friday said.
The violence began after attackers fired guns at the home of a pro-regime village administrator on June 12. The attackers left behind a motorbike with a number plate that was reportedly traced to an address in Kinma.
When regime forces tried to enter the village to find the culprits on Tuesday, they were ambushed by local armed fighters. A young man from the resistance was shot in the thigh during the clash, while 15 were reported killed on the regime’s side.
