CURRENT SITUATION: "Instability in Kachin and Shan States restarted in early June 2011 and resulted in the displacement of populations, loss of lives and livelihoods and dam-ages to infrastructure. Following a Government invi-tation, an inter-agency rapid needs assessment was conducted from 20-26 September in 39 locations in some IDPs sites (camps, host families, public build-ings) of five townships (Bhamo, Momauk, Myitky-ina, Khaunglanhpu and Waingmaw) targeting 5,925 IDPs. Two townships Mansi and Shwegu could not be assessed due to security concerns. Of the as-sessed beneficiaries, some 4% were vulnerable, be-sides there were 56% children under 18 years of age, 17% of children under 5 and 12.5% female or child headed IDP families. Although figures of displaced population continue to fluctuate and are reportedly increasing on a daily basis, it is currently estimated that between 35,000 and 40,000 IDPs may have left their homes and sought refuge in camps, with friends and relatives or into the forest across the affected region. As an indication of the rapidly increasing caseload, accord-ing to the Kachin State authorities, between Sep-tember and the end of November 2011, the number of IDPs living in Myitkyina, Waingmaw, Bhamo, Mansi, Momauk and Shwegu has increased from 5,900 to 10,000 IDPs. Across all affected areas, available –albeit not independently verified - infor-mation indicate that, in the same period, the num-ber of displaced passed from 20,000 to 35-40,000 persons..."