Since the commencement of 'Operation 11.11,' an offensive spearheaded by local ethnic resistance forces against the Military Council in Karenni (Kayah) State, mobile internet communication lines have been severed in certain townships, including Loikaw.

This disruption has caused huge problems for aid workers and charitable organizations engaged in providing assistance to the war-displaced people.

An official from the Karenni IDP Aid Network told Kantarawaddy Times, "Nowadays aid organizations rely heavily on the Internet for their operations. Communicating with donors, sharing documentation and images, and portraying the plight of war-displaced individuals, all hinges on online connectivity. When the network is down, connecting with essential stakeholders becomes very difficult, impacting our operations. This not only hampers communication with donors, but also results in a decrease in the aid received, thereby impeding our ability to effectively assist war-displaced people”.

Since November 20th, extensive connectivity disruptions in Karenni State have compelled aid workers to travel to faraway areas without internet access. Even among the internally displaced people (IDPs) already in Karenni State, there is a scarcity of food. The initiation of 'Operation 11.11' has led to more displaced individuals, increasing the number of mouths to feed and the amount of aid required .

"When mobile networks are down, there's no internet access. But we rely on the internet to secure  help from foreign donors for everything we need”, said an aid worker from News Light in Karenni, a local organization dedicated to assisting displaced people.

Humanitarian workers reported that  the number of war-displaced individuals in Karenni State  exceeded 250,000 in early November, with an additional 50,000 following 'Operation 11.11'.The

well-being of war-displaced individuals relies heavily on donor assistance. Communication network disruptions significantly add to the many obstacles faced by aid workers to helping IDPs to survive.