Continuous heavy rainfall since July 5 has caused widespread flooding across more than 100 wards and villages in eight townships in Rakhine State. According to humanitarian volunteers, nearly 100,000 people have been affected by the floods and are in urgent need of emergency assistance. In some villages, homes have been submerged, forcing residents to evacuate to safer areas.

The flooding has also triggered riverbank erosion and damaged roads and bridges, disrupting transportation in many areas. As of July 11, at least five people have drowned, while several others remain missing.

The flooding has also contaminated drinking water ponds with river water, leaving many communities facing shortages of safe drinking water. Residents in the flood-affected townships urgently need food, medicine, safe drinking water, and support for evacuation and temporary shelter as the humanitarian situation continues to worsen.

Strong stream currents along the Rakhine–India border have swept away homes and property, causing significant damage in the affected areas. Continuous heavy rainfall has caused stream levels to rise, leading to dangerously strong currents.

Homes in villages near the streams have been swept away by the strong currents, while goods being transported from India by Rakhine traders have also been washed away in the floodwaters.

Since July 7, landslides along the Aizawl–Lawngtlai highway in India have left hundreds of vehicles stranded, including trucks transporting goods and vehicles carrying Rakhine traders.

Mist-covered mountain ranges and lush green hillside farms lining both sides of the road, this landscape of Ann Township in Arakan State looks, from a distance, like a beautifully painted picture. But behind this beauty, “silent killers” lie hidden, unnoticed by many.

For displaced people returning home, this has become a harsh and bitter challenge like living through a nightmare.

In Meit Taung Khrei Village, Ann Township, 35-year-old U Maung Shwe stepped on a landmine in February 2025 while cutting bamboo in the forest to earn a living.

This video documents the tragic impact of an unexploded 40mm grenade blast that occurred in Waithali Village, Mrauk-U Township, Rakhine State, in August 2025—a devastating incident that shattered the lives and futures of young children.

It features the painful experiences of 11-year-olds Maung Kaung Myat Htun and Maung Phyo Nyein Naing, alongside the heartbreaking grief of their mothers.

In addition to their stories, the video provides vital mine risk education (MRE) to help parents in conflict-affected areas protect their children from the dangers of landmines and explosive remnants of war.

(If you wish to provide assistance or contact the families, please reach out via DMG.)

In Rakhine State, the lush mountains that once provided a livelihood for generations have turned into deadly traps.

Since conflict intensified in 2019, hidden landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) have become "invisible killers" lurking in the forests.

This video explores the dire situation in Ponnagyun and Kyauktaw townships, where villagers from places like Kan Thit and Kha Paw must risk their lives daily just to gather bamboo shoots or firewood.

With over 400 casualties reported between 2019 and 2024, the fear of landmines is crippling the local economy and traditional ways of life.

In this video:

Personal stories of villagers living in fear.

Data on landmine casualties from OCHA and Landmine Monitor.

Essential safety tips and signs of hidden mines.

The community's urgent plea for landmine clearance and peace.

Support the voices of those who must risk everything for a basic meal.

In the aftermath of conflict, a silent killer remains buried beneath the soil. "Lives Darkened by the Legacy of Landmines" tells the harrowing true stories of survivors in Ponnagyun Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State, whose lives were changed forever by a single misstep.

Between 2019 and 2024, over 400 people in Arakan fell victim to landmines and explosive remnants of war. 70% of these survivors, like U Than Tun Hla, Ma Oo Nwe Soe, and U Chan Sein, have suffered life-altering injuries and the loss of limbs.

In this video, we explore:

The Personal Toll: How the loss of a limb impacts families, livelihoods, and the dreams of the younger generation.

The Silent Threat: Why areas like the Bawdaw mountain range remain dangerous years after the fighting has stopped.

The Health Crisis: The desperate struggle for medical care and pain relief in a region where humanitarian aid has been largely cut off.

As international aid remains restricted, these survivors are living "forgotten lives in the shadows." This video serves as a call for awareness and support for those struggling to rebuild their futures amidst the darkness.

As 2026 began, Sittwe quietly stepped into its third century. Arakan’s largest city, the capital of Arakan (Rakhine) State has once again become a place where history feels close, heavy, and unfinished. 

On January 12, Sittwe is not only marking its 200th anniversary. It is also, in northern Arakan, the last remaining stronghold of Myanmar’s military council and its state administration.

Beyond checkpoints and naval patrols, the sound of war is drawing closer. The Arakan Army’s offensives have steadily advanced toward the Regional Operations Command headquarters based in the city. In this moment, Sittwe has become the most strategically important location for both sides and the symbolic heart of Arakan’s future.

So how did Sittwe arrive here, at this crossroads of history and conflict? What paths did it take across two centuries? What did it survive world war and civil war, storms and riots, booms and collapse? And what kind of city is Sittwe today? This is a walk through those questions.