A local aid group announced on November 10 that approximately 8,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Gwa Township, southern Arakan (Rakhine) State, are in urgent need of food and medical assistance.

According to the Gwa Township IDPs Assistance Groups Coalition, a local charity, 7,925 IDPs in Gwa Township remain unable to return home and are facing livelihood challenges due to inadequate assistance.

“The IDPs in Gwa Township mainly need food and medicine. They still can’t go back home because their villages are at risk of airstrikes, and the junta’s naval ships are still shelling these areas. Right now, their most urgent needs are food and medicine,” said a member of the Coalition.

Gwa Township is a coastal area where most locals rely on sea fishing, and only a small number are involved in agriculture.

Currently, junta battleships are attacking or seizing local fishing trawlers whenever they are spotted at sea, putting further strain on the livelihoods of local communities.

While naval ships threaten those at sea, people who rely on the land face huge challenges from landmines and leftover unexploded ordnance.

“The IDPs are searching for food in the forests to get by, but it’s not enough. They really need proper food supplies,” the aforementioned source said.

The Coalition is urging local and international donors and organizations to step in and help the IDPs in Gwa Township, who are facing severe crises with their livelihoods, shelter, and healthcare.

Across Arakan State, around 600,000 IDPs are still unable to return home. They face severe hardships including limited access to aid, few job opportunities, and rising prices, all of which have put a heavy strain on their livelihoods.