Food Shortages Plague IDP Camps in Southern Shan StateThe majority of internally displaced people (IDP) camps in southern Shan State have an urgent and critical need for food, a manager of one of these camps said.
An IDP told SHAN, “The food shortage is severe. We IDPs urgently require food. Donors haven't visited the camp for over seven months. Some of us have resorted to strenuous labor, like harvesting corn, due to financial hardships, but the crisis persists”, the IDP from an undisclosed camp said.
The IDPs hail from different regions in Karenni State and the townships of Pinlaung, Pekon, and Mongpai (Mobye) in southern Shan State. Since 2022, virtually every IDP camp in southern Shan State has encountered issues with food shortages and inadequate aid.
According to an IDP who spoke to the Shan Herald, the population of the camp where he is currently residing had been once approximately 180,000, however at present only about 9000 people remain, and these remaining individuals are facing significant challenges due to food shortages.
In the IDP camps in southern Shan State, not only food shortages but also limited access to clean drinking water continue to be significant hardships.
"For drinking water, we each have to contribute a bit of money to purchase gasoline and then pump water from the stream, which isn't very clean. There's also a high lime content in the water, so we have to boil it and wait for the lime to settle before it's safe to drink. Currently water availability during the rainy season is not too troublesome. However when summer arrives, the streams run dry, and with a large population water shortages may become a concern”, the source added.
Within the camps, IDPs are grappling with economic hardships by taking on various casual labor jobs, and they harbor a strong longing to return home if the opportunity arises.
"I yearn to return home. My current residence has only walls and a roof, with no door. At night, I am unable to sleep peacefully, as I constantly feel a lack of security”, the aforementioned IDP told Shan Herald.
Although returning to their homes remains problematic ,it is a crucial for IDPs to return home as soon as possible to access employment opportunities, establish sustainability and ensure long-term resilience.
