Since witnessing a military airstrike on her school in February, kindergarten teacher Mi Hser has been haunted by the memory. That day began like any other in Daw Si Ei village, Karenni State. Children played and shared snacks until the morning assembly. Despite the drone buzzing overhead, no one paid much attention.

The village, 27 kilometers from the nearest conflict zone, had seen conflict since the February 2021 coup. But that morning, as Mi Hser stepped outside with her infant son, a fighter jet roared overhead. Moments later, an explosion shook the building. Mi Hser saw rubble falling and then everything went blank.

When she came to, a student lay bleeding, and a teacher held another barely conscious child. Four boys died, the youngest just 12, and 40 students were injured. Mi Hser, blaming herself, said, “I failed in my duty to protect the students.”

Fear has since incapacitated her. She cannot return to the school and struggles to sleep. "Even the sound of a cat jumping on the metal roof frightens me," she said.

Prolonged Conflict and Its Toll

The attack on Daw Si Ei’s school is not isolated. The military has targeted civilians with airstrikes, shelling, and arson, actions the UN says amount to war crimes. Since the coup, over 3 million people have been displaced, nearly a third in southeastern Myanmar.

The UN describes the situation as a "never-ending nightmare," with at least 4,600 civilian deaths, including 659 women and 490 children. Schools like those in Daw Si Ei and Loi Nan Hpa villages, initially shut down after the coup, reopened under community volunteers but remain targets.

Mental health expert Nouf Bazaz explains that prolonged conflict erodes social structures essential for healing. "Especially for children, trauma during key developmental phases can alter neurological systems," she said. Monica, a psychiatrist with the National Unity Government, notes the severe mental health service gaps exacerbated by the coup.

Impact on Survivors

Mi Hser’s daughter sleepwalks, and her son screams through the night. The village children are now afraid of loud noises and few return to school. "All the happiness has disappeared," Mi Hser said.

Mi Htoo Htoo, whose son was killed just before his 14th birthday, struggles with grief. She unconsciously calls out for him, remembering him in his Sunday clothes. The attack leaves her in constant fear, and her surviving children are too scared to leave the house.

Monica warns of the long-term impact on Myanmar’s young generation, who will carry this trauma into adulthood. In Shadaw, 50 kilometers away, intense fighting has left residents like Naw Kaw Lay traumatised. Her family hid for hours as soldiers looted their home. They later found the bodies of six villagers, including three children, killed by the military.

Naw Kaw Lay now lives in a forest shelter, her sleep disturbed and mind detached. "I still feel like my mind is detached from my body and I can’t concentrate," she said.

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