Displaced women face safety concerns due to inadequate toilet facilities in camps

By Admin 16 May 2026

DMG Newsroom

16 May 2026, Kyauktaw

Displaced women in some camps across areas controlled by the Arakan Army in Arakan State are facing emotional and physical security concerns due to inadequate and unsecured toilet facilities, local sources said.

In one displacement camp sheltering more than 1,000 people in Kyauktaw Township, heavy rains and strong winds in recent days destroyed the roofs and walls of the toilets, and residents cannot afford to repair them.

The lack of proper roofs and walls, broken doors, and unsanitary conditions in these toilets have become major concerns for women living in the camp.

"The toilet pits are filled with water and are very dirty. Because there aren't enough toilets, we have to wake up very early in the morning just to queue up. The toilet doors and roofs are completely ruined. Women are living in fear because the toilets are not secure at all," Ma Hsan Kyaw, a displaced woman sheltering at a displacement camp near a railway station in Kyauktaw, told DMG.

Currently, displaced people are finding it a major challenge to build toilets on a self-reliant basis due to dwindling humanitarian aid, skyrocketing commodity prices, and low income caused by job scarcity.

Furthermore, women noted that the distance between the displacement camp and the toilets makes it highly inconvenient to use them at night.

"At night, no girl dares to go to the toilet alone. Since we are not locals, we have to be extra cautious. There are liquor shops and drunkards around here at night, so girls don't dare to go by themselves. I have a young daughter. Whenever she needs to go to the toilet at night, I always have to accompany her. I just don't feel safe letting her go alone," said Ma Than Than Soe, another displaced woman.

On top of enduring livelihood hardships and natural disasters, displaced people are also worried about potential health complications caused by the unsanitary toilets.

Similarly, tens of thousands of displaced people, including women, are staying in camps across Kyaukphyu Township, where an insufficient number of toilets has also become a pressing concern for women.

"Toilets are very important for women's safety. The population here is very large, but there are only three or four toilets available. Even those existing toilets lack proper roofs and walls. Sometimes, when the toilets are too crowded, we don't dare to go alone, so we go into the bushes together with friends. At those times, we feel extremely insecure and worried that someone might be secretly filming or peeping at us," said Ma Nandar Win, a displaced woman in Kyaukphyu Township.

Displaced women in camps across Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Mrauk-U, Ann, Gwa, and Taungup townships also reportedly face similar anxieties due to the lack of adequate and secure toilet facilities.

Additionally, due to the lack of secure shelters in overcrowded displacement camps, women are suffering from emotional and physical insecurity during daily routines such as bathing and changing clothes.

On the other hand, there is also a high demand for sanitary pads among adult women living in the camps.

Since renewed fighting broke out in Arakan State in November 2023, more than 600,000 Arakanese people have been displaced from their homes.

Among them, women, the elderly, and children are facing compounding challenges, including a lack of aid, rising commodity prices, job scarcity, and natural disasters.