Mizzima-Jan 13
Internal displacement in Myanmar continues to worsen, leaving civilians with few safe havens as military operations spread across much of the country, according to a report released on 5 January by Myanmar Witness. The report, Internally Displaced: Where Do We Go? Assessing the Internal Displacement Crisis in Myanmar, examined open-source evidence from January to June 2025 and documented hundreds of incidents linked to displacement following the military’s February 2021 coup. Myanmar Witness analyzed 284 reported events affecting internally displaced persons (IDPs), finding that the vast majority of civilians fled their homes due to violence or military activity. Nearly 90 percent of recorded incidents resulted in new displacement. The remaining cases involved attacks on IDP camps, damage to temporary shelters such as schools and monasteries, or casualties among displaced civilians. Displacement-related impacts were identified in 12 of Myanmar’s 15 states and regions, with Magway, Sagaing and Bago Regions recording the highest number of incidents. The report linked these figures to the Myanmar military’s sustained ground operations in those areas. The report noted that airstrikes and ground offensives have increasingly affected remote areas, changing assumptions that distance from conflict zones offered protection. Overall, the findings suggest there are “few to no locations” in Myanmar that can be considered consistently safe for civilians, as conflict-driven displacement continues with little sign of abating, the report concluded. Read more at: https://eng.mizzima.com/2026/01/13/30211
