Rakhine IDP refugees are starving because of less supports

Many IDPs in Rakhine State stated that it becomes very difficult to survive as they are not getting adequate volume of  food items every day from the outside donors. Many of them are even starving, they claimed.

Ma San San Nu from Dhamar Yon IDP camp in Rathedaung said that she wants to leave the camp and work outside for survival.

“But there are very few jobs in our locality. So many of us are living without necessary food items,” she added.

World Food Program supported the refugees with a monthly allowance of Kyats 33,000  per person, but this amount is enough to buy rice grains for one person. Other items are not affordable for the refugees with the amount of money.

"We can buy rice grains with the money received  from the WFP. But we can't buy  meat and fish items.  We have tried to be self-sufficient in food supplies, but yet to be successful,” revealed the lady.

Most of the families live in a small room around 9x9 square feet in Dhamar Yon camp. They are also surviving with less space and fresh air.

The refugee camp was opened in September 2019 for the IDPs coming from the villages affected by the gun fighting between the junta forces and Arakan Army members.

There are 181 households with a total population of 587 hailing from seven villages in the camp. Majority of them came from Aung Mray Gone, Thaung Dayar, Hti Swe and Kyauk Tan villages.

Similarly, in Myo Oo Kaung refugee camp of Mrauk U , the WFP delivered only Kyats 30,000 per person per month since the beginning of 2023. The refugees are not receiving supports from  other NGOs and INGOs.

U Maung Maung Thein, who is in charge of the refugee camp, said that it’s hard to survive with the limited supports.

“We don't have enough food items and we have borrow from others. There is no job for the refugees. They can't go out every day for works,” he added.

There are 160 households with a total population of 673 in Tenma camp, who came from Mrauk U, Kyauk Taw and Paletwa townships.

Similarly, in Nyaung Chung IDP of Kyauk Taw  township supporting more than 3,000 people, many refugees are reportedly in debt. Some are starving due to lack of food and jobs, informed Daw Than May, who lives in the camp.

She revealed that they are surviving with  a monthly assistance of Kyats 3,000 from the WFP. They are actually starving as they can not have two meals a day, she added.

After the military coup in 2021, the military council stopped providing aid to those fleeing their villages. Even the junta authorities restricted international aid for the refugees.

Meanwhile, the refugees are reluctant to return back to their villages as their areas are yet to be cleared of  mines and remnants of military weapons. Moreover, the  camps of soldiers are stationed near
their villages and many  people are scared of them.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) stated that there are about 60,000 refugees in Rakhine and Chin States of Myanmar, who are yet to return  homes for various reasons.