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KARENNI STATE – The displaced people who fled to Loikaw after the launch of Operation 1111 in Karenni State have returned to Ponchaung IDP camp in Demoso Township and are now facing difficulties regarding food, according to a source close to the displaced people.
The existing refugees at the camp were already facing hardships regarding rations the addition of returning refugees has made it more difficult, said the source.
“From our village alone, around 200 returned. It’s just an estimate. We don’t have the exact numbers yet as they go back slowly. For some villages, the entire village disappeared (from Loikaw) in one day. They must have difficulties. Even those remaining back in Loikaw can only have two meals a day. It has become difficult for donors to visit. Things should be worse on that side. It should be difficult just to enter or leave the place,” said the source.
Due to battles in Loikaw City, residents of the city as well as displaced people have to move to IDP camps across Karenni State as well as the neighbouring Shan State.
Those who fled to Ponchaung IDP camp after the launch of Operation 1111 in Loikaw had to rent cars to go there and the car rental fee had also seen a hike compared to before, said a woman close to a family that returned to the IDP camp.
“The car rental fee is up to 50,000 Kyats just to get out of Loikaw. It would probably cost hundreds of thousands to go till Ponchaung. It wasn’t this much before things become complicated in Loikaw,” said the above woman.
All communication networks have been cut in Karenni State and it is difficult for family members to contact the people who fled to Ponchaung as a result. In addition, they are worried about the ration situation as it is difficult for donors to visit.
As more and more people are visiting the IDP camp daily, sources close to the camp said that it is difficult to ascertain the exact number of displaced people at the camp.
The displaced people taking shelter at Ponchaung had fled to Loikaw due to the intense battles in Demoso during March and returned to Ponchaung following the break out of battles in Loikaw starting November 11.