Kantarawaddy Times
Village in the eastern part of Dee Maw Hso, Karenni State, where peanuts and sesame are the main crops, are facing daily food shortages, particularly a lack of rice for sustenance.
Due to the intense fighting in 2023, residents had to flee the conflict and could not engage in farming. Although they have resumed farming this year to secure their livelihoods, the scarcity of seeds and the lack of funds to buy seeds and fertilizers have limited their planting to only about 25% of what they would normally cultivate.
The lack of income has made buying rice unaffordable, forcing villagers to sell their cattle and buffaloes to purchase rice.
A 50-year-old man shared, “Living here, it’s easier to work on our farms. We still own some buffaloes and cows. Selling even one animal can provide us with one or two bags of rice. We care for them and feed them daily. We slaughter them almost every day and sell the meat. Then, we use the money to buy rice.”
Currently, those areas are cultivating and selling crops like peanuts and sesame to buy rice.The villages they live in were previously occupied by military troops, and there is still a landmine threat. A man in his 40s, who lost his home during the fighting, stated that securing food is more critical than rebuilding his house.
“For now, we’re focusing primarily on securing food. We’re doing our best to rebuild homes, but it’s not possible yet,” he said.
He elaborated on the additional challenges his large family faces: “We have large families, so we’re relying on others. Our family has 10 members, living with another family of 7. Seventeen people in one house brings many challenges—water, sanitation, and food. The difficulties are overwhelming,” he said.
Since the crops haven’t yielded any produce yet, they are struggling to secure food. Some families don’t have any rice left to cook for the breakfast, leading to arguments between spouses, according to a village official.
The village official shared, “Right now, our crops are just being planted, so we have no idea what we’ll eat. Before fleeing, we had people who would hire us for 5,000 or 6,000 kyats a day, allowing us to buy rice. But now, there are no hirers, and we’re stuck relying on ourselves, which makes things difficult. Some families say they have no rice to cook in the morning, leading to arguments between couples. We’re far from offices and services here, so aid is difficult to access. Additionally, there are fewer donors, making aid scarce. I sympathize with their donation; however, I have nothing to give to them in return.”
Many families are surviving on a single rice porridge meal. Although donors have been providing aid, they can only supply about 2 pyis (roughly 1.5 kg) per household, making their situation precarious. The village leaders has reported that there are hundreds of families facing difficulties to meet their basic needs.
Since the onset of the conflict in 2021, residents have been displaced and unable to return home. Consequently, this, coupled with their inability to farm, has made the food situation even more dire for these internally displaced persons.
