Displaced families in Rakhine State’s capital are facing severe food shortages and starvation after Myanmar’s military regime banned direct aid donations, requiring all relief to be funneled through government channels.

About 53 monasteries across Sittwe are currently sheltering displaced populations, according to local residents.

However, new rules requiring all domestic and international aid to undergo a lengthy state vetting process have cut off vital supplies.

“Donors who want to provide direct aid are strictly prohibited,” a Sittwe resident told local news outlet Narinjara. “Because all assistance must go through the government, monasteries hosting large numbers of displaced people are facing critical food shortages.”

Among the hardest-hit site-based camps are Yatya, La Yaung Win, Sangha Raja, and Asokarone monasteries.

Independent donors have largely stopped assisting for fear of legal action or retaliation from junta authorities.

“We have no rice left,” said one displaced resident. “People are on the brink of starvation. If we eat in the morning, we skip dinner. If we eat in the evening, we skip breakfast.”

Sittwe relies almost entirely on cargo ships from Yangon for staple foods, including rice. Residents worry that any delays in ship arrivals will trigger further price spikes.

Spokespersons for the military-controlled Rakhine State government did not respond to requests for comment.