Over 100,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) are grappling with water scarcity in camps located in the western part of Demoso Township, Karenni State.

"We re-use soap-dissolved water from washing clothes and repurpose dirty laundry water, practicing mindful water conservation in various ways”, Daw Sein Pho Lya Nar, a resident from a western Demoso IDP camp told Kantarawaddy Times.

Karenni State, prone to summer droughts, encompasses arid areas west of Demoso hosting approximately 100,000 IDPs.

In the Yegutaung IDP camp, currently hosting Daw Sein Pho Lya Nar and over 500 residents, individuals take turns collecting seeping water from forest holes, transported to the camp through pipelines. However during the summer, when natural sources dry up, they are compelled to buy water for their daily needs.

During the rainy season, the water problem is not a big deal, and in the winter residents in the camp collect and store water flowing from the water pipe. Unfortunately many IDPs lack adequate containers, preventing them from storing the water for an extended period.

Daw Sein Pho Lya Nar said that when water emerges from the pipes, camp residents must quickly gather, leading to a crowded presence in the area.

Despite their efforts to store water, camp residents find themselves compelled to buy water when summer arrives, with no other viable option. A war-displaced individual shared that all IDP camps west of Demoso are grappling with this type of water scarcity.

War-displaced individuals are also concerned about the potential spread of diseases that could be exacerbated by water shortages.