Kachin Church urges members to help refugees

The Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC), the largest Kachin Christian denomination urged all its members living in urban areas to help refugees, who fled from their homes because of the civil war between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burmese Army since June 9.

“We all know our people are struggling because of the war. Those who fled the war zone lack food, clothes and healthcare and they are in dire need of support,” said a statement released by KBC on June 22 to all its member churches.

The Baptist Christian organization said they plan to visit refugees to help in the running of refugee camps.

Kachin refugees marched to the shelters in the KIO's Capital Laiza near China border

KBC has invited people and organizations to contact them if they wish to donate for the civil war victims, the statement said.

According to a source from the China border there are more than 20,000 refugees who fled to the border and about 13,000 refugees are being sheltered in Laiza headquarters of the KIO.

KIO has been distributing two cans of rice to each refugee per day while a locally based NGO is providing healthcare.

A young pastor from Myitkyina the capital of Kachin State said, it might be possible for the KBC to visit and help refugees in the border. However there will be a lot of difficulties and risks involved given that war is on in the whole state.

More than 500 refugee students in Laiza are getting a chance to continue their classes at a school being run by the KIO’s education department. However they are faced with a shortage of learning material.