Daw Noe Ku, an internally displaced people’s (IDP) camp in Karenni State, Burma, stands as both a testament to resilience and faith, and a stark reminder of the plight faced by displaced people who have lost their homes, farms, and loved ones while fleeing the conflict that has gripped the country for 75 years.
In this predominantly Buddhist country, where Christians make up approximately 6.5% of the population, the Karenni—Burma’s only ethnic group where Catholics form the majority—share the camp with significant numbers of Baptists, animists, and Buddhists. Despite the devastation caused by war—including the government bombing the camp’s Catholic church earlier this year—the community came together to organize a Christmas celebration, offering a rare moment of joy amid years of suffering.
The celebration was made possible through modest donations, totaling $400 raised from donors on the Thai side of the border. With these funds, the residents fed 300 displaced Catholics and 150 others of different faiths, preparing meals that included meat—a rare and treasured luxury for those living in such desperate conditions. The scene of families sharing meals and men preparing food for the celebration evoked images of the Biblical miracle of the loaves and fishes. A camp representative described it as “a great and blessed day for us,” a sentiment echoed by the hopeful and joyous atmosphere of the gathering.
Central to the celebration was the arrival of a priest who braved the dangers of war to reach the camp and celebrate Mass. For the Catholic community, his presence was profoundly significant. Only a priest can administer the sacraments—Mass, confession, and the Eucharist—which are essential to their faith. Without him, these spiritual lifelines are absent. Despite the rain, the congregation gathered reverently, kneeling on tarps and the forest floor, as the priest stood on a makeshift platform to lead the service.
The Christmas celebration, however, also served as a stark reminder of the camp’s dire reality. Poverty, displacement, and the constant shadow of violence define daily life for the residents. About 85% of the population of Karenni State are displaced, and nationwide, there are at least 3.5 million internally displaced of varying ethnicities. According to the World Food Programme, 18.6 million people in Myanmar require humanitarian assistance, with 14.4 million facing food insecurity and 2.2 million at risk of starvation in the coming months. In Karenni State, the situation is particularly dire, as USAID reports that 30% of children are suffering from malnutrition.
In neighboring Kayah State, a predominantly Christian region in eastern Myanmar, hundreds of displaced villagers sought refuge in a cave, known as “Mother’s Cave,” to hold a Christmas Eve Mass. Fearing airstrikes from the junta, worshippers, mostly women and children, gathered on the cave’s hard-packed floor for a service led by a priest at an altar adorned with flowers and candles. The exact location of the cave remains undisclosed to prevent it from becoming a target of airstrikes or drone attacks.
Myanmar’s military, which overthrew the elected government in 2021, has intensified its targeting of ethnic minority areas, many of which are predominantly Christian. Since the coup, more than 300 religious buildings, including around 100 churches, have been destroyed by the junta. The National Unity Government (NUG), a shadow government in exile, reported that civilians and places of worship have been repeatedly targeted, with incidents like the 2021 Christmas Eve massacre of nearly 50 villagers in Kayah State and a recent airstrike on a church in northern Myanmar that killed nine displaced people, including children.
While the entire population of Burma faces the hardships of war, internally displaced people (IDPs) are among the most vulnerable. IDP camps are little more than makeshift collection points deep in the jungle, where people seek refuge after their homes and villages are destroyed by the army. These camps are not under UN protection, the displaced are not included on resettlement lists for third countries, and the camps receive little to no external funding or support. With no end to the conflict in sight, the number of internally displaced people is expected to continue rising.
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