Ponnagyun residents displaced by fighting urgently need humanitarian aid

By Admin 23 Sep 2026

DMG Newsroom

23 September 2026, Ponnagyun

Fierce clashes between the military regime and the Arakan Army along the Sittwe-Ponnagyun border have forced residents of nearby villages to flee their homes, leaving them in urgent need of humanitarian aid, according to local sources.

To escape junta artillery strikes and air attacks, residents fled Yarchaung, Kuntaung, Padetha, Hsin Inn Gyi, Chaungwa, Kyunchay, Ahtokethel, and Dabethlyan villages in Ponnagyun Township.

Most displaced villagers are currently sheltering under tree canopies and in open areas, facing severe food shortages, according to displaced residents.

"We do not have proper shelter yet," Daw Hla Oo May, a displaced woman, said. "Regarding food, we survive on whatever little we brought along, eating rice with a single side dish. Because of my poor health, I cannot lie on the bare ground or stay under trees for extended periods."

Daw Hla Oo May fled Kyunchay Village alongside her three daughters, marking her second displacement due to the conflict.

Many displaced people are suffering from seasonal illnesses and lack the financial means to access medical treatment.

"My daughter has a high fever, but I cannot afford to buy medicine for her, so she lies wrapped in a blanket," U Maung Zaik Kay from Kuntaung Village said. "We fled suddenly with only the clothes on our backs. We urgently need assistance."

Displaced families also expressed deep anxiety over shelter arrangements amid persistent threats of junta airstrikes.

The military regime launched a large-scale offensive targeting villages along the Ponnagyun border on September 4, but counterattacks by the Arakan Army forced junta troops to retreat.

Heavy fighting continues along the Sittwe-Ponnagyun border. Frequent junta airstrikes targeting areas across Ponnagyun Township continue to cause civilian casualties.

At approximately 1:00 a.m. on September 23, junta aircraft dropped nearly 20 bombs on Phetkya Village in Ponnagyun Township, killing two civilians, including one displaced person.