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Kachin/Shan

In Kachin and Shan states, fighting between the military (Tatmadaw) and ethnic armed groups has intensified over recent months, including conflict in or near civilian areas. During December and January, a camp housing approximately 2,000 IDPs from areas beyond Government control in Waingmaw Township in Kachin was emptied as a result of nearby fighting. These newly and redisplaced people are now sheltering in temporary sites or other pre-existing IDP camps, some of which are in Government controlled areas. The proximity of armed personnel to civilians, including IDPs, as well as the presence of landmines in many areas continue to pose serious protection risks to the civilian population in Kachin. Incidents of intimation and harassment at check points and forced recruitment, including of children, by all parties to the conflict continue to be reported.

In Kachin State, about 86,000 people remain displaced in 140 camps/sites with more than 46 per cent of the displaced still located in areas beyond Government control where international actors have limited humanitarian access. In Shan State, there are some 12,000 displaced people remaining in 42 camps. In recent months, 20,000 people fled across the border into China amid fighting around Laukkai, in the Kokang SelfAdministered Zone. At least 30 people, including at least five civilians, were reportedly killed. An estimated 10,000 migrant workers from other parts of Myanmar also fled the Laukkai area. Most of those displaced in this fighting are reported to have returned by now although their needs are yet to be assessed.

Against the backdrop of worsening security in early 2017, international humanitarian access to IDPs and other vulnerable people in Kachin and Shan states continues to be increasingly restricted, both in areas within and beyond Government control. The UN has not been able to deliver relief supplies to nearly 40,000 IDPs in areas beyond Government control since May 2015. These access constraints are placing a heavy burden on national humanitarian organizations who are now delivering the vast majority of assistance in these hard-to-reach areas.

Rakhine

In Rakhine State, approximately 121,000 people remain displaced in 36 camps or camp-like-settings as a result of the inter-communal violence in 2012. Almost five years into displacement, Muslim people, most of whom call themselves Rohingya, continue to face restrictions on freedom of movement that limit their access to livelihoods and essential services, including health care, protection and education, making them heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance. Shelters and other facilities in IDP camps were originally constructed in 2012-13 as a temporary measure and now require urgent maintenance or repairs before the monsoon season that begins in June. Work is currently underway to improve the available data on living conditions in the camps and on the impact this is having on people residing there longterm. Finding durable solutions for IDPs remains a priority through initiatives aimed at reducing need, ending displacement, promoting self-reliance and supporting early recovery.

In an effort to address citizenship and documentation related issues, the Government re-launched the citizenship verification exercise. Earlier this year, consultations were held with the stateless Muslim population in Rakhine State as well as the international community on the citizenship verification process, including the issuance of Identity Cards for National Verification (ICNV or NVC) and their related benefits. Significant steps to relax restrictions on freedom of movement were also announced. While these developments are most welcome, their implementation remains unclear and many people in the Muslim community continue to reject the citizenship verification exercise. There are continued advocacy efforts to ensure the process is voluntary and that full and timely information is provided to the concerned people on the steps involved and the rights associated with the documents.

In the northern part of Rakhine State, more than 90,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by the 9 October 2016 attacks. This includes an estimated 74,000 who crossed into Bangladesh and approximately 20,000 people who were internally displaced in Maungdaw north. Many of those who were internally displaced have now returned to their villages of origin, but they have not been permitted to rebuild their houses on their original plots. A small number of returns from Bangladesh to Myanmar have also been reported. Significant shelter needs remain because a large number of houses were burnt/ destroyed or damaged during the security operations. However, the full scale of needs remains unknown because international access has been restricted and a comprehensive humanitarian assessment has not been permitted. In February, the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund allocated US$ 4.4 million for the provision of life saving assistance including food, health care, non-food-items, protection, psychosocial support services and gender based violence-related interventions.

Meanwhile, the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, led by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, released its interim report with recommendations in March. These included a recommendation that the Government should develop, in consultation with affected communities, a comprehensive strategy towards closing all IDP camps in Rakhine State, and that full, unimpeded access for humanitarian workers and the media should be allowed to affected areas in the State’s north.

Natural disasters

On 13 March, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake injured 26 people and caused damage to buildings close to the epicentre near Taik Kyi, about 40 kilometres north of Yangon. At least one house collapsed and there was minor damage to walls, gates and ceilings in offices and pagodas in this area. The Government's Relief and Resettlement Department deployed a team to coordinate assistance in the affected area, with support from the Myanmar Red Cross Society and other community based organizations. Tremors were felt across Yangon and Bago but there were no reports of damage in these cities.