housands are fleeing continued fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Many Internally Displaced

Thousands are fleeing continued fighting in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. Many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) take refuge in camps and monasteries. But they’re often unable to find proper shelter and humanitarian assistance.

More than 3,000 civilians have fled villages in the far north of Myanmar’s conflict-ridden Rakhine state after three days of heavy fighting between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army that killed one villager and injured three others.

Villagers who fled their communities amid armed conflict in Maungdaw township disembark from a boat in Sittwe, capital of western Myanmar's Rakhine state, July 15, 2020.

More than 3,000 civilians have fled villages in the far north of Myanmar’s conflict-ridden Rakhine state after three days of heavy fighting between government forces and the rebel Arakan Army that killed one villager and injured three others, a relief worker said Thursday.The refugees from Rathedaung and Maungdaw townships join a tide of around 200,000 civilians living in Buddhist monasteries and crowded camps after being displaced by the armed conflict in Rakhine state since late 2018, according to the Rakhine Ethnics Congress, a Myanmar NGO. Fresh fighting between the two armies began on July 12 near Rathedaung’s Koe Tan Kauk village and Chain Khar Lain village, and in Maungdaw’s Sar Ngan Chaung village. Combat raged until July 14, the day on which the civilians were killed and injured, local relief workers said.  “Some people fled to Maungdaw, and some villagers fled to Rathedaung and Buthidaung. Some fled all the way to Sittwe. In total, there were around 3,000 people,” said Kyaw Min Khaing, a volunteer who is assisting the displaced civilians in Sittwe.