Residents of Mala Village, north of the Kaladan River in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State, struggle to rebuild their lives and find work after returning home following displacement by conflicts.
Mala villagers, who fled to Kyauktaw, Mruak-U, and Sittwe townships in Arakan State in March 2020 due to regional conflicts, are now returning home.
“The villagers have come back, but there’s hardly anything left to call it a village. The roads are gone, overgrown with bushes, and the villagers are slowly clearing them bit by bit. Many houses still haven’t been rebuilt,” said U Thein Shwe Aung, a Mala villager.
According to village elders, junta troops demolished or set fire to roughly 75 percent of the village’s 110 households during the fighting. The remaining houses also deteriorated from a lack of proper maintenance while their owners were away.
Some returnees have already rebuilt their homes, but those facing financial hardships cannot and are temporarily living with relatives.
“Families who can barely afford their daily meals find it impossible to rebuild their homes. Some are living in makeshift bamboo huts, while others are selling their gold jewelry just to afford rebuilding. Most of the houses are being rebuilt with bamboo frames and tarpaulin sheets for the roofs and walls,” said U Saw Shwe Thein, a villager elder.
Currently, they returned villagers survive on irregular day labor and manual work to make ends meet. To restore their once-thriving agricultural community, farming equipment is urgently needed, they told DMG.
The loss of livestock and farming equipment left behind during displacement has further complicated the rebuilding efforts.
In November 2023, the Arakan Army (AA) launched an offensive to capture towns in Arakan State, quickly seizing control of Kyauktaw Township. By January 2024, Mala villagers had begun their return journey. Now, after more than a year back home, they are still struggling to rebuild.
“When I came back and saw my village in ruins, I couldn’t hold back my tears. I was so worried, not knowing where to even start rebuilding. I want to ask aid organizations to help us — we need healthcare and financial support too,” said Daw Hla Win, a Mala villager.
When the returnees first came back, some organizations provided tarpaulin sheets, but locals said it was not enough.
In addition, fears of landmines and unexploded ordnance have left locals reluctant to enter nearby forests for livelihood activities, as Mala Village was once encamped by junta troops.
