The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has opened an office in Kachin State to increase its humanitarian activities in the conflict-hit area, the aid agency said in a statement on Wednesday. The establishment of the new office, in the state capital Myitkyina, comes after 12 months of assisting civilians displaced by clashes between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in both government- and KIA-controlled territory. The office will increase access to the ICRC’s physical rehabilitation services and make its other health activities in the state more responsive, the statement said. The ICRC also has offices in Rangoon, Mandalay, Hpa-an, Sittwe and Mrauk-U.