Over 12,000 Flee Junta Onslaught in Myanmar’s Quake Disaster Zone

Over 12,000 residents displaced by fierce fighting in earthquake-hit northern Sagaing Township are in urgent need of food and shelter, according to locals and aid volunteers.

Many are from villages wrecked by the 7.7-magnitude quake that rocked central Myanmar in late March.

Residents fled after over 300 junta troops and allied Pyu Saw Htee militias began raiding the famous pilgrimage site of Mingun, an hour from Mandalay city, on June 11. Another column backed by armored vehicles and artillery has been raiding villages along the Sagaing-Shwebo road since June 17, sparking clashes with resistance groups. Residents of more than 30 villages have fled the fighting.