Burma/Myanmar: Urgent Appeal for Donations

Dear sisters and friends,

Burma/Myanmar: Urgent Appeal for Donations

We wrote to you earlier this year to ask for your donations for the Karen Women’s Organization (KWO) in Burma/Myanmar, where people are risking their lives every day to oppose a military coup.

Since the coup in February 2021, the military has killed over 1000 people, including five protestors runover by a military vehicle on 5 December. Thousands more have been detained and tortured in custody. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee to escape the repression and air strikes against towns, cities and villages, and are hiding in the jungle.

Since June, the Burmese military have intensified shelling and persecution of civilians in Mutraw (Hpapun) District of northern Karen State. Shelling was heaviest in September, with dozens of shells nearly every day fired indiscriminately into villages and fields, causing civilian injuries and damage to property. See report here and photos below: https://www.karenpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Shelling-out-punishment-across-Mutraw_-English-version.pdf

There are also serious concerns that the military will scale up logging, the teak trade, palm oil plantations and the exploitation of natural resources like jade.

KWO is the long-established women’s organization providing direct assistance to ensure the survival of Karen women and their families. The Global Women’s Strike has met KWO and we are confident that it is best placed to ensure that all aid reaches those who need it most. KWO is asking for donations to provide food, sleeping mats, mosquito netting, birthing supplies, and basic medicines.

Please donate here.