Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Southern Shan State are facing a critical shortage of essential medicines, with emergency contraceptives for women nearly depleted. The crisis is affecting camps in Hsihseng, the Inle Lake region, the Samka area, and along the Shan-Karenni border.

“We are running out of medicine, including contraceptives for women. There are very few support organizations assisting us, making the situation worse,” said a female IDP who fled from Loikaw, Karenni State, to Southern Shan.

Beyond the immediate need for medicines, displaced women and teenage girls in Nyaungshwe Township lack access to vital sexual and reproductive health education. The absence of rural health clinics in many villages across Hsihseng Township and the Inle region has left families without adequate family planning knowledge. A woman activist in Shan State emphasized the life-threatening consequences of this gap in healthcare.

“Sexual education must be provided not only to teenagers but also to married women. With birth control pills unavailable, they need alternative ways to protect themselves,” she said.

The humanitarian crisis has deepened following the temporary suspension of USAID funding for refugee assistance. The funding freeze, which began on January 27 and is set to last 90 days, has forced a halt to many essential health services. The Karenni Health Organization warned that contraceptive supplies for IDP women would run out by the end of this month.

But the crisis extends beyond reproductive health. The lack of clean water has triggered outbreaks of diarrhea and dysentery, especially among children. In the Samka area of Nyaungshwe Township, hundreds of IDP children are in desperate need of medical attention.

“Many children have fallen ill due to changing weather conditions, and we are not receiving the medical support we need. Some have been hospitalized with high fevers, while others require blood transfusions due to conditions like leukemia,” a female refugee reported.

Over 3,000 displaced individuals from villages such as Phaya Taung, Lwe Nwe, Ye Pu, Nyaung Lay Pin, Nang Tok, Kon Thar, Eain Mu, Taung Po Kwe, and Hopan remain in peril. Meanwhile, humanitarian aid efforts are being blocked by military forces and the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia, preventing much-needed supplies from reaching IDPs along the Shan-Karenni border.

As the crisis escalates and resources dwindle, humanitarian groups are calling for immediate intervention to prevent further suffering and loss of life.