High price of essential commodities push Rakhine families to the brink of famine

 It has been 40 days since the military council implemented the four-cuts strategy and blocked the trade routes in Rakhine State. This has caused a significant surge in commodity prices, placing numerous families at risk of famine in certain localities.

"Many people are experiencing hunger. Some cannot afford rice, but remain silent due to social shame. For those who manage to have one meal silently skip the other one. The condition is particularly dire, especially in the outskirts of cities. In those  areas many families are surviving without regular meals," said a woman from Sittwe township.

Since the renewal of gun fighting on 13 November, the roads and waterways have been blocked. Movement of goods between towns has been restricted causing significant hardship to the farmers, fishermen, boat passengers, motorists, auto-rickshaw drivers, etc.

"There is very little traffic these days and the military council has been  apprehending pedestrians and discouraging people from venturing out. Our snack shops are  experiencing a decline in sales, affecting the livelihoods of concerned families. Now, we are compelled to boil and consume broken rice for survival," said another local woman from Sittwe.

"Kyauk Phyu township residents are currently facing hardships, where the scarcity of rice emerges as a serious concern. The military's closure of roads has resulted in disrupting the flow of goods. Unjustified price increases worsened the situation making it difficult for manual labourers to afford two meals a day," said a local from Kyauk Phyu.

Sayar U Aung Khin, a Muslim adult and translator from Sittwe, posted on his social media page with the title "A true story that leaves me feeling suffocated... To my Rakhine brothers and sisters...."

"I want to share with all my friends that I am providing free English speaking and translation training at a monastery in Sittwe. The charity monastery also offers accommodation and meals. I am delighted as a grassroots educator as the students show interest in learning. Now the weather is turning cold in Sittwe. I observed a person was selling items with two children (a 4-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl). I inquired about their financial situation and learned that the mother died due to pneumonia while giving birth to the girl,” he wrote.

"I further inquired and then the man said that if he can sell the freezies he can arrange the breakfast. They take dinner after the evening shopping. When he cannot arrange the breakfast, he waits for more buyers to make it possible. I offer to feed them after the monks' alms. I ask him to wait and  provide them with the remaining alms from the monastery. I am aware that numerous people are surviving without enough food items. I want to share with my Rakhine brothers and sisters that I am getting emotional while writing this post," he added.

Political analyst U Pe Than said to Narinjara News that the military council's implementation of the four-cuts strategy and blocking routes in Rakhine State is a very detrimental act and it  should be completely abolished.

"The road connectivity in  Rakhine State remains blocked for many days. So the commodity prices have gone up significantly. If the people continue suffering, the military council may have the intention to provoke a conflict between the ULA/AA and common people,” he added.

He  urged the International organizations, Rakhine social organizations and those with the financial outfits to gather the lists of individuals genuinely in need of support in every town and village across the State.