By Kantarawaddy Times
Civilians displaced by the war in Karenni State are increasingly worried about running out of food next year after many months of being unable to work.
“We do not even earn 1 kyat! We are totally dependent on the food we receive from donors. We have nothing in our hands and are unable to stand on our own two feet,” a woman living in an internally displaced persons (IDPs) camp in Demawso Township told Kantarawaddy Times. Like many others, she has not worked on her farm for over six months after fleeing Burma Army offensives in the town with the same name.
“We used to grow rice, maize and nuts, but this year we have lost everything!”
People will starve if food donations are not delivered to IDPs in Karenni State, said another woman living in Wah Yon Taw camp, who expects to rely on handouts for a long time to come.
Regime forces have shelled many homes and churches in their attacks on resistance groups and civilians, leaving people with nothing and forcing them to seek shelter in remote villages and jungle camps.
According to the Karenni Civil Society Network, the military has destroyed 395 buildings in Karenni State, 251 of them in Demawso Township, where the attacks were concentrated. The fighting has displaced 156,935 people, more than half the state’s population. In Demawso, the figure was 68,265. From 22 November to 5 December, 1,486 people fled the fighting in Karenni State.
