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Over 200 nuns in Sittwe face hardships due to lack of support amid fighting in Arakan

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Thinzar Nwe, Narinjara News, 8 October 2024

 

Over 200 Buddhist nuns from 15 nunneries in Sittwetown of Arakan State are facing hardships due to the decline in donations amidthe ongoing fighting.

 

Many local residents fled for safety since thefighting began and the mass exodus severely impacted the nuns' collection ofdonations, leaving them in a difficult situation, said a nun from aSittwe-based nunnery.

 

“Now there are no villages to receive donations. Inthe past, we could travel from one village to another, but now we can only goto towns where there are only a few people. As a result, we aren’t receiving asmuch rice grains as we used to. We rely on donations, but now the prices ofgoods become high and hence we have to pick watercress for our curry. There’snone who can donate money,” added the nun.

 

Additionally, there is a pressing need for sanitarypads for the adult nuns living in the nunneries. 


"To be honest, we are only using rags during this period. A pack ofsanitary pads costs Kyats  5,000. When we  go out to collectdonations we have to  buy sanitary pads too. Currently we can hardlyafford one meal a day,”  she explained.


Prices of essential commodities in the Arakan region are staggering as  aviss of chili costs Kyats 50,000, onions Kyats 30,000, fuel ranges from Kyats18,000 to 23,000 per liter, fish paste Kyats 12,000 per viss, a pack ofcoffee-mix Kyats 24,000 and a package of 32 short candles Kyats 10,000.

 

The rising medicine prices also make living conditionsdifficult. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the junta's State government providedfood and supplies to the nuns in Arakan. However, due to the ongoing conflict,there is now a noticeable decrease of support for the religious communities.

 

"Previously, the junta also provided assistance. Now,because of the conflict in Arakan, there is no support or donations coming forthem. As the nuns go to the communities to collect alms, it becomes challengingwhen the residents are fleeing to other places," stated the nun.

 

Amid the ongoing conflicts, everyone is struggling tomake a living as the junta's state government is not providing any support. Itput the nuns in a dire situation.


Sittwe supports  15 nunneries and  once those housed around 500 nuns.Due to the ongoing conflicts, only 200 nuns remain in those convents.

 

A nun from Sane sub-township under Kyaukphyu statedthat it becomes very difficult for the nuns to survive.

 

"We planted some trees for fruits in the nunnerycompound. We also feel fortunate to have some vegetables to eat. We havegathered the fish paste, salt, chili and tomatoes. However, the prices areextremely high at this moment. With very few donors, we have to struggle tocollect food items,” revealed the nun.


Photograph - Nuns and monks participating in an examination

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