Over 50,000 people displaced by fighting from their homes in Rathedaung Township in Arakan State are in urgent need of food and medical supplies.
The displaced people (IDPs) are sheltering in other parts of Rathedaung Township (but not Rathedaung Town) and other Arakan State townships. So far, none of them have been able to return to their homes.
A representative of the Ponnagyun Youths Association (PYA), in Ponnagyun Township said: “There is an urgent need for food and medical aid for the displaced individuals who have arrived from Rathedaung Township.” They also admitted that, despite PYA’s best efforts, the IDPs are receiving inadequate assistance.
The situation has been compounded because the distribution of aid across Rathedaung Township has been hampered by disrupted phone lines, internet outages, and transportation challenges, making it difficult to deliver necessary resources.
The junta is also blockading transportation routes in Arakan State, including the waterways, making the distribution of supplies throughout the state very problematic. This has led to skyrocketing commodity prices which have exacerbated the hardships being suffered by the IDPs. Many are having to resort to scarce poorly paid labouring work to help them survive.
A displaced person who is sheltering in another area of Rathedaung Township, away from their home, said: “Aid organisations are struggling to reach Rathedaung due to transportation difficulties and communication breakdowns. It seems they are not fully aware of the dire conditions faced by the displaced people here. Those who have fled their homes are surviving by fishing, foraging for vegetables, and engaging in poorly paid labouring work.”
A woman displaced form Rathedaung Township said: “We’re barely managing to have two meals a day. When we get sick, medicines are beyond our reach due to the high costs. With no jobs and soaring commodity prices, it’s become extremely difficult for us to cope with this situation.”
The Arakan Army (AA) took control of Rathedaung Town on 23 March 2024, but residents remained barred from returning.
There are now over 600,000 IDPs displaced by conflict in Arakan State and they are in critical need of food, medicines and shelter.
