Burma (also called Myanmar) has been at war since the military coup of February 1, 2021, with clashes between military junta and armed groups. Civilians are suffering from bombings and clashes: more than 3 million people have had to be displaced, while at least a third of the population requires urgent humanitarian aid. Father Aloysius, former director of KMSS Loikaw, a diocesan Caritas in Myanmar, partner of Secours Catholique, testifies to this daily life and the need to be with the most vulnerable.
“At KMSS, Burmese Caritas, we have always wanted to prioritize the poorest who are marginalized and exploited. But since the war of 2021, we face an impressive challenge: who should we prioritize? Because all civilians are affected, and experience unimaginable trauma, while being determined to survive and rebuild their lives. I understood the horror in May 2021, when elderly people, women and children took refuge in a church on the heights of Loikaw, a church which was then bombed. I was then director of Caritas and it was very stressful. I was worried about our teams who could be stopped at any time with the military's mobile checkpoints. It is impossible to know where the conflict will be from day to day. I need to know the situation of civilians so I travel around the diocese. I know it's dangerous but I have to do it to bear witness to the reality that people lack shelter, food and water. They need to speak and know that they are being listened to.
I know it's dangerous but I have to do it.
Caritas distributes food, temporary shelter and provides psychosocial assistance, but also something to revive sustainable agriculture. This ecological approach to agriculture (with local seeds, organic fertilizers, naturally renewed soil) is an important tool against hunger in the context of war, because it gives civilians a means of subsistence.
Today our office has moved to Demoso for security reasons, and I am an advisor on indigenous land rights projects. Because land grabbing continues, and we believe, at Caritas, that indigenous peoples are close to nature and defend its resources. Their environment must not disappear for the good of the planet. This is why we help them defend their land rights through mapping activities. The war is not ready to end and we must continue to support the most vulnerable despite everything. »
Read also: Civil war in Burma, a forgotten conflict
