As the conflict drags on and displacement stretches into years, Karenni internally displaced persons (IDPs) continue to face pressing needs. With limited humanitarian assistance, many are compelled to take on small jobs and temporary labor to sustain their daily survival.

This September, during the corn harvest season, some IDPs from the western side of Dee Maw Hso Township have been husking and drying corn to earn income. Employers pay about 3,000 kyat per sack.

“They don’t pay daily wages—only per sack. For each sack we husk, it’s 3,000 kyat. But we have to cover all the costs ourselves, even for drying the seeds,” explained one displaced woman.

Depending on weather conditions, workers can manage to process three to five sacks per day, earning just over 10,000 kyat. For displaced families struggling to make ends meet, this uncertain income still serves as a lifeline. Yet, despite the hardship, many IDPs have little choice but to take whatever work is available to support their families.

Security threats remain constant. Since the junta’s election announcement, artillery shelling and aerial reconnaissance over civilian areas have become a daily reality, further deepening fear and insecurity.

“When jet fighters come, we hide under trees. We are terrified. Even the sound of heavy weapons landing nearby makes us afraid,” said another displaced woman.

Residents in western Dee Maw Hso traditionally rely on cultivating rice and corn for their livelihoods. Even while living in displacement camps, many IDPs return to their original villages during the farming season to plant or harvest. Corn is widely grown across village tracts such as Kone Thar. However, with recent military offensives in the area, many villagers have been unable to complete their harvests.