Over 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) residing in Demoso Township are struggling with water shortages as the dry season diminishes the water available in the camps located in Karenni State.

“We have to reuse water for the toilet. We cannot discard water for washing our clothing,” explained Daw Sein Hpoe Lya Ner, who lives in a camp in western Demoso Township.

According to Daw Sein Hpoe Lya Ner, an IDP at Shwegu Tawng camp, the water source they collected from during the wet season has been used up, and they must purchase water during the hot season.

During the rainy season, IDPs dig holes lined with tarpaulins to collect rain, she said, but it’s not enough to last the entire dry period.

A local man mentioned that drought is a problem for all the camps in Demoso Township until the rains return in the springtime. Many people suffer from illnesses caused by the lack of water or contaminated water sources during this time.