U.N. says 230,000 displaced by Myanmar fighting

FILE PHOTO: Woman displaced by fighting in eastern Myanmar feeds a baby at a forest camp in Kayah State, May 26, 2021. Picture taken May 26, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

(Reuters) - An estimated 230,000 people have been displaced by fighting in Myanmar and need assistance, the United Nations said on Thursday, as a major armed ethnic group expressed concern about military force, civilian deaths and a widening of the conflict.

Myanmar has been in crisis since a Feb. 1 coup ousted an elected government, prompting nationwide anger that has led to protests, killings and bombings, and battles on several fronts between troops and newly formed civilian armies.