By Kantarawaddy Times
Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Pasaung, in northern Karenni State, who fled to Mese Township due to fighting in Pasaung town, are now in urgent need of food aid as the conflict continues, according to the displaced residents.
Since clashes erupted in Pasaung in March, the majority of residents from Kwatthit, Namhu Khone, and other parts of the town fled to Mese Township. While aid organizations initially provided food and basic supplies, the seven-month-long displacement has led to a decrease in assistance, according to a member of the IDP committee.
A member of the IDP committee stated, “We’re running out of food. Since no one can go out to work and there are no job opportunities, if we stop receiving rice, it could become a serious problem, and we may end up facing a severe food shortage.”
Currently, a local organization provides monthly supplies of rice, salt, and beans to the IDPs. However, for other necessities, the displaced people have had to rely on wages earned from daily labor in the local villages.
“There’s no other work available. We’ve been helping with tasks like harvesting sesame and other farm work in the villages, and that’s how we’ve managed,” the committee member explained.
The IDPs are divided into five groups, taking turns working as daily laborers for the local villages to meet their basic needs.
There are over 800 displaced people in the camp, and as they are unable to return to their homes, they remain deeply concerned about their long-term food and shelter situation.
