As fighting intensified in Maungdaw Township, Rakhine State, causing residents to flee for safety, more than 1000 people found themselves trapped.
The Junta and their ally the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), have jointly deployed in Maungdaw town, and closed off the town’s entrances and exits, posing significant problems for the trapped residents attempting to leave. Most of residents desperate to leave are Rohingya Muslims.
"Residents in Maungdaw are desperate to leave, fearing imminent violence. If clashes erupt, there is no escape. But the Junta's closure of all exits and entrances hinders evacuation, with regime soldiers restricting movement within the town”, a Maungdaw resident told DMG.
While the majority of Maungdaw residents evacuated prior to the escalation of clashes, over 1,000 individuals faced obstacles preventing their timely departure, and remained trapped within the town.
"Leaving the town has become incredibly hard. If the Junta soldiers spot civilians near the town exit points, they shoot or arrest them. It is really tough getting out of Maungdaw now. We were lucky to get away”, a displaced person who fled Maungdaw said.
The trapped residents in Maungdaw are not only facing security concerns but also grappling with livelihood struggles, worsened by shortages of goods and soaring prices in the town. The price of a bag of rice in Maungdaw has surged to 200,000 MMK, and locals fear it may go even higher in the future.
“It is not safe here right now. We are low on food. Even if you have money, there is nothing to buy. Rice is hard to find, and without incoming imports, we are carefully managing our dwindling supplies”, another Maungdaw resident said.
In Maungdaw Township, the Arakha Army (AA) has seized control of several Junta's Border Guard Police (BGP) bases, such as Kyeekanpyin, Hlaphokhaung, and Kyeinchaung.
AA is also intensifying its efforts to take over additional BGP bases including 4-Mile, Myinhlut, Mawyawadi, Myothugyi, and Alelthankyaw, while encountering fierce resistance from the Junta.
