By Kantarawaddy Times
Residents of a village in Daw Ta Ma Gyi village tract, located in eastern Dee Maw Hso Township in Karenni State, are facing an outbreak of skin infections linked to ongoing water shortages, according to local sources.
Community members report that inadequate access to water has led to poor personal hygiene conditions, resulting in the spread of skin-related diseases among school-aged children and elderly.
In January, approximately 60 schoolchildren in the village were affected by skin irritation and infections due to limited water availability, a local schoolteacher said.
“Those with stronger immune systems have begun to recover, but some cases still remain,” the teacher noted.
Challenging transportation conditions have further exacerbated the crisis, significantly restricting access for water donors and humanitarian organizations attempting to reach remote villages and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps. While residents who own motorcycles, tractors, or cars are able to travel to distant water sources, those without transportation face severe difficulties and remain in urgent need of external assistance.
“Our village has poor road access, so transporting water is very difficult. Water donation groups cannot reach us due to the road difficulity. We also do not have emergency water for social or urgent situations, which makes things very difficult for our community,” a local woman said.
In response to the urgent need, the 7 Stars Youth group delivered water to the village on February 22 using three vehicles to help alleviate the shortage and reduce the spread of skin infections.
The village is also hosting internally displaced persons who have fled conflict in the area.
Residents say they have been facing water scarcity even before the peak of the summer season, raising concerns about worsening conditions in the coming months.
