War-displaced people from Dor No Koo refugee camp on the border of Karenni State and Thailand, are facing significant hardships, primarily due to the lack of secure housing options as they crossed the border into Thailand.
An aid worker helping the refugees told NMG, "They erect makeshift tents on Thai territory near Daw No Koo village, but the Thai soldiers forced their removal.
The soldiers didn't let them build any tents, so these displaced people could only stay under the shade of banyan trees. Otherwise they were told to go back to Daw No Koo”.
War-displaced individuals on the Thai side are restricted from settling anywhere other than the locations approved by Thai authorities.
"Under this policy, war-displaced folks can only stay on the Thai side for two months. If things settle in Daw No Koo, Thai authorities may request their return. If the conflict persists, the Thai side might permit them to stay at the border, but they must live under banyan trees and can't go anywhere else”, the aid worker added.
"People from Daw No Koo usually go outside the village and sleep on the Thai side under banyan trees. Thai soldiers also give them a temporary place on the Thai side, if they don't want to stay in the village for now. The rule is they can only live under the banyan trees”, a woman who took refuge at Daw No Koo herself for about three months said.
The temporary shelter under the banyan trees, designated by Thai authorities, is too far from the old Daw No Koo refugee camp site,and is not convenient as accommodation for war-displaced individuals.
The new location is considerably distant from the old Daw No Koo refugee camp site, causing concern among displaced individuals about the potential burglary or theft of their belongings left at the camp.
Refugees from Daw No Koo are now grappling with food shortages, compounded by a lack of food aid, alongside ongoing accommodation challenges.
Following the Military Council's coup in early 2021, armed clashes erupted in Karenni State, similar to other regions. As a result, Karenni residents sought refuge in different secure locations, with approximately 5,000 war-displaced individuals reaching the border with Thailand. Daw No Koo refugee camp was subsequently established firmly near the border to accommodate these individuals who initially lived in temporary tents.
Due to the Military Council's indiscriminate targeting of war-displaced individuals through shelling and airstrikes repeatedly, the Daw No Koo refugees had no choice but to flee from the Karenni State side to seek refuge in Thai territory.
Approximately 800 refugees from Daw No Koo have sought shelter in an area designated by Thai authorities as Karenni Refugee Camp No. 1, situated under the shade of banyan trees on the Thai side.
