Irrawaddy-Oct 8
As Myanmar’s military regime ramps up ground and air assaults to expand control in Kayah (Karenni) State, displaced civilians are facing worsening food shortages, soaring prices, and the collapse of livelihoods, local aid groups report. Displaced families say the four years of conflict since the 2021 coup have brought hardship, but conditions have deteriorated sharply in the past few months. Rice shortages are now so severe that many displacement camps can no longer provide two daily meals of congee, aid workers said. The situation is dire in western Demoso Township, where displacement camps are appealing for emergency food aid. Jobs for Kayah said it once supported around 10 camps per month but can now provide regular supplies to only two. Food prices in Karenni State have tripled and even quadrupled since the military blocked key trade routes, including the Loikaw-Hsihseng and Loikaw-Pekon roads. The regime has also restricted the flow of goods from Thailand and other areas bordering the state. Traders must now rely solely on the Karenni-Taungoo route, but multiple checkpoints manned by the military, ethnic armed groups, and resistance forces collect tolls, driving up costs for displaced families. The Karenni Human Rights Group (KnHRG) warned in a recent report that the regime is deliberately targeting food supplies and income sources, leaving civilians at risk of famine. In the report, a resistance fighter worker recounted how a displaced mother of four in Demoso—who makes a living by foraging for forest vegetables and selling them at market— asked for leftover chicken bones from an eatery, meant for dogs, so she could make soup for her children who hadn’t eaten meat for several months. The state now hosts over 470 camps sheltering roughly 15,000 people, while many other IDPs are taking refuge in villages or forests. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/news/burma/myanmar-junta-accused-of-famine-warfare-as-hunger-grips-karenni-state.html
