Yangon, Myanmar - The suffocating smell of charred wood has followed 19-year-old Ahmed for days. On Saturday, a group of armed men set fire to his home village of Ywa Thai Kay. With flames licking his heels and the sound of bullets cutting through the air, Ahmed, who spoke under a pseudonym, was forced to flee his childhood home, desperately clutching his most prized possessions - his English books.

Five days later, Ahmed is again facing the threat of arson, this time in the remote village of Myoma Kayin Dan where he and 2,000 other unarmed Rohingya civilians have sought refuge after losing their homes. Surrounding villages were burning on Wednesday. 

"There is a big river behind this village," said Ahmed in a phone interview. "The women and children will not be able to cross it. We are so worried because we are trapped between the river and the military with no food to eat."

He continued: "If they start to burn this village, then we will all be in trouble; we have nowhere to go."