UN aid convoy to deliver food to IDP camps after being blocked by the Burmese govt

THE UN DISTRIBUTED RICE TO SENG MAI PA IDP CAMP IN KIO-CONTROLLED MAI JA YANG IN MARCH.

The United Nations’ aid convoy is finally on its way to deliver much needed food rations to some of the thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in camps in Kachin Independence Army (KIA) controlled territories.  The convoy departed on Monday after the Burmese government blocked food supplies last month, according to local aid groups.

UN’s World Food Program (WFP) arrived in at Loije this afternoon where they provided enough food rations for one month to over 200 IDPs living in the Kachin Roman Catholic Church, in government-controlled Loije, according to residents.

Nearly 400 IDPs, mostly students who were living in La Ying IDP camps in China, opposite of Loije, have not received any aid from the UN agencies, since moving to the Kachin Baptist Church compound in Loije last month, according to a local elder.

Students are receiving some support by the church following in the Burmese border town, he added.

Tomorrow the convoy will go to Kahteng Dabang IDP camp in Mai Ja Yang, the second largest town under KIO-controlled town, a local aid assistant told the Kachin News Group.

Sufficient food rations for one month will be supplied to Pa Kahtawng Dabang and Ung Lung IDP camps, she said.

Pa Kahtawng Dabang camp, which was recently set up, is a combination of IDPs from Seng Mai Pa camp, Ung Lung camp and Gat Pa Kadawng camps, around Mai Ja Yang. There are over 2,400 people living in the camp.

There are still 40 households and over 200 students remaining in Ung Lung camp, said the aid worker.

Last month, the UN aid team was restricted by the Burmese government on several return trips to resupply IDP camps in KIO-controlled territories, Salang Kaba Doi Pyi Sa, head of KIO’s IDP and Refugee and Relief Committee (IRRC) told the Kachin News Group.

The UN aid team informed the IRRC they will deliver food to IDPs in Chipwi today.

According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch there are an estimated 75,000 IDPs, most are living in KIO-controlled territories near the border with China.

The KIO has refused to accept offers of food donations from the Burmese government after they broke a seventeen-year ceasefire with the KIO nearly one-year ago.