ICRC aid convoy allowed access to Laiza after delay

ICRC aid convoy finally arrived to the KIO-controlled Mai Ja Yang in eastern Kachin state on Feb. 25.

An aid convoy from the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) traveled to territory controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) this week and was eventually allowed to visit Laiza the KIO's de facto capital.

This is the first time in nearly 9 months that an international organization has been allowed to make aid shipments to camps located in areas not controlled by the government.

For three months last year the UN was able to make regular aid shipments to refugee camps in the KIO controlled town of Mai Ja Yang.  These shipments stopped in early July when the government denied permission for further convoys to proceed.

On February 25 three ICRC trucks destined for refugee camps in Laiza the KIO's de facto capital were prevented from proceeding by troops from the Burma army's infantry Battalion 437, the Kachin News Group has learned.  After a lengthy period of negotiations the ICRC convoy which originated in Bhamo was allowed to proceed to Mai Ja Yang via the government controlled town of Loije.

The ICRC trucks were then allowed to go to Laiza the following day. This is first time since December 2011 that the Burmese government has allowed any international organization to send relief supplies to Laiza.

According to aid workers there are an estimated 66,000 internally displaced people sheltering in IDP camps in KIO territory.  Over the last 20 months the UN and other international aid groups have had extreme difficulty accessing camps in KIO territory due to government restrictions.


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