More than 400 ethnic Mro and Daingnet residents of Khamaung Seik village in northern Maungdaw Township, Arakan State, who have been displaced by recent fighting are currently facing livelihood hardships, some of the internally displaced people (IDPs) told DMG.

A clash broke out between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) at a Border Guard Force outpost near Khamaung Seik village on August 26.

About 430 IDPs are currently taking refuge in neighbouring Yaynauktha, Mingalarnyunt and Thittone Ngar Khasone villages.

It is not easy to feed hundreds of displaced people in the long run, noted U Tun Shwe, the administrator of Thittone Ngar Khasone village.

“We need food supplies for the displaced people. We will be in trouble because they [IDPs] will not return home if they are not provided with food items,” the village administrator told DMG.

“We don’t know exactly when we will be able to return home. Imagine the difficulties we face because we were unable to take our belongings along with us,” said an IDP from Khamaung Seik village who is currently sheltering in Yaynauktha village.

The Yaynauktha village administrator, U Nyo San Tun, told DMG that there may be food shortages in the coming days.

“We will face food shortages in the long run because the road is still closed,” he added. “How can we solve this problem? You can’t buy cooking oil or rice even if you have money.”