The displacement camp has not received any aid from donors since March, according to Khu Phray Reh, the chair of the displacement camp on the Thai-Karenni (Kayah) State border.
In the previous months, an internally displaced person (IDP) received three kilograms of rice per month from the remaining stock, he said.
Khu Phray Reh stated, “Since March, we have had very limited rations. The remaining supplies are scarce, and we are unable to distribute enough to meet everyone’s needs, as we have to share what little we have left.”
After USAID halted aid to several countries, including Myanmar, the IDP camps that depend on donor support have been facing a severe shortage of rations.
The IDP camp is home to approximately 3,000 residents. The internally displaced persons (IDPs) typically received dry rations, including rice, oil, salt, beans, and dried fish, through social organizations funded by USAID.
Currently, the IDPs rely on assistance from the Coordination Team for Emergency Relief (Karenni). Chair Khu Phray Reh mentioned that they are planning to engage in upland farming near the IDP camp to secure long-term rations.
“The IDPs here have not engaged in farming for nearly all of the past years. However, this year, we have made plans to start upland farming for them. We expect to see the benefits by next year,” he said.
The IDPs may encounter greater challenges in the long term due to a lack of income-generating employment opportunities to address their livelihood issues.
U Byar Reh a resident of the IDP camp, said, “If I am allowed to do upland farming, planting a box of rice can yield about ten to twenty bags, which would be enough to sustain us for a year.”
The IDP camp is home to approximately 3,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Previously, each IDP received 15 kilograms of rice per month, with the average monthly distribution totaling between 600 and 700 bags of rice.
Following the suspension of international aid by USAID, not only do most IDP camps in Karenni State face increased shortages of rice supplies, but the internally displaced persons along the Thai-Karenni border are also experiencing significant food shortages.
Sent by Kantarawaddy Times.
