06/10/2019 Myanmar (International Christian Concern) –  The United Nations noted on Sunday that the government of Myanmar has not allowed their agencies to deliver aid to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kachin and Shan states.

The government effectively closed this aid channel in June 2016, although an estimated 37% of these IDPs are in areas beyond Myanmar’s control. The United Nations says that they have submitted 30 applications within the last year and a half to reach these states, where an estimated 106,000 IDPs are residing in camps. These applications were denied, and humanitarian access to these areas continues to decline.

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is engaged in an ethnic cleansing process. Kachin is an ethnic group that is predominately Christian. There is an armed conflict between Burmese military forces and armed ethnic organizations in some parts of Kachin. While the current conflict is not primarily religious in nature, the implications on Christians are significant. Christians are often left more exposed to violence and the military’s block on humanitarian aid further weakens their vulnerability.

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