Kantarawaddy Times
An internally displaced person (IDP) camp in Maese Township, home to 320 households, is facing a rice shortage, with around 100 households affected and in urgent need of assistance, according to a camp committee official.
Currently, families experiencing the rice shortage are borrowing rice to survive, while those with some money are purchasing it. However, due to high prices, they are unable to buy enough.
“There are about 100 households without rice. Those without money have to borrow to eat, while others buy rice at high prices. People are deeply worried because aid has stopped. Some families have already run out of food. It has been two months since we last received any food supplies,” a camp official explained.
Until two months ago, the Coordination Team for Emergency Relief-Karenni (CTER) had been providing regular food assistance, including rice, beans, and salt. However, all assistance has been suspended for the past two months.
The following suspension of the U.S. government’s decision to reduce aid to Myanmar and other countries has also impacted Karenni IDPs. As a result, CTER has been unable to continue its regular support to the displaced communities.
“For the past month or two, there has been no aid. It’s not just our border area; it’s happening nationwide and globally. The reduction in international assistance means that we couldn’t provide support for the last two months. However, we have some good news that we will be able to help in the third month, but only with rice, not beans or salt. We are not the ones cutting the aid; we are just intermediaries. If we have supplies, we distribute them. If we don’t, we can’t,” said Khu Poe Reh, a CTER official.
Since the military coup, CTER has been working to secure donations to provide food supplies to Karenni communities displaced by conflict. Over the past three years, CTER has regularly supplied rice, beans, and salt to over 13,000 Karenni IDPs in Maese Township and along the Thai-Karenni border.
IDPs living in these border camps have no land for farming and no access to stable jobs. As a result, food aid is essential for their survival.
“Some are now looking for outside jobs, but there’s no land for farming. They take whatever jobs they can find, mainly in Mawchi, even though their parents worry about their safety. We are really concerned for families who can’t work. If they don’t get help, they’ll be in real trouble,” the camp official added.
The IDP camp houses 320 families, with a total population of 1,452 people.
