Displaced Communities Along Waingmaw-Bhamo Road Resume Settlement While Facing Education and Healthcare Rehabilitation Needs

Pajau Media

April 22, 2025

As displaced populations gradually return to their native villages along the Waingmaw-Bhamo roadway, the reopening of schools remains delayed despite the approaching academic term, leaving parents concerned about educational disruptions for their children.

"We've heard schools should reopen, but repair work on the buildings hasn't begun," explained a resident of Gara Yang village. "With everyone prioritizing their own homesteads first, the school compound remains overgrown with vegetation since evacuation."

The villages of Gara Yang, Namsan Yang, Dabak, Katsu, and Ja Pu - displaced for over a decade following 2011 clashes - had sheltered in Waingmaw-Maina camps and other temporary settlements.

While returnees have reestablished subsistence farming for basic sustenance, the lack of restored school infrastructure continues to hinder children's education. The prolonged displacement has additionally strained healthcare access and utilities, with communities now facing comprehensive rehabilitation challenges.

Village reconstruction priorities center on reviving children's education through operational schools and restoring rural health clinics, needs which returning parents urgently appeal for assistance to address.

News: Htu Seng