Pajau Media
24.9.2024
Evacuees who had fled to Mai Ja Yang and Laiza, on the Chinese border, have returned to their hometowns to resume farming, but are facing severe challenges due to the rising cost of fuel.
"Being in a border region, most transactions are in Chinese currency, and the Burmese kyat has lost significant value. It’s been hard even for basic family needs. Some areas are now under KIO control, so more evacuees have returned to farm. However, the increasing fuel prices have made it very difficult,” said one evacuee.
Since early September, fuel prices in the Mai Ja Yang and Laiza areas have surged to between 18,000 and 20,000 kyats per liter.
Evacuees in the villages of Nam Sam Yang, Gandaw Yang, N Pawn, and Nawgu are trying to sustain themselves through agriculture, but are struggling due to both the high cost of fuel and the currency situation.
The exchange rate between the Chinese Yuan and Myanmar kyat currently ranges from 130 to 150 Yuan per 100,000 kyats, making daily living increasingly difficult for those who rely on the devalued Burmese currency.
Thirteen villages fled to the Chinese border this year following intensified armed conflict. Most of the evacuees work in agriculture, cultivating crops like sugarcane and Black Cardamom.
Since the military coup in 2021, frequent clashes have intensified across Kachin State, causing over 80,000 people to flee their homes. From 2011 to 2024, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kachin State has reached 194,900.
Comments