Thandwe residents face livelihood hardships amid junta airstrikes

By Admin 12 Aug 2026

DMG Newsroom

12 August 2026, Thandwe

Residents of Thandwe Township, Arakan State, are facing severe livelihood and food security challenges as relentless airstrikes by the military junta disrupt daily earnings.

With the regime conducting daily aerial reconnaissance and bombing various areas, local residents have been forced to suspend their regular work, dealing a heavy blow to their livelihoods.

"We survive by selling vegetables, running market stalls, or taking whatever odd jobs we can find. Most of that depends on working at the market. Whenever a junta fughter jet comes to attack, market sales stop. If we cannot sell for a single day, we have no food for that day," a local woman in Thandwe said.

In addition to junta airstrikes, monsoon-related travel difficulties along waterways have reduced cargo shipments from northern Arakan State, driving up prices of basic food commodities across the township.

In Thandwe Township, a bag of high-grade Paw Hsan Hmwe rice has risen to K260,000, a sack of low-grade rice to K230,000, and a bag of Indian rice to K200,000.

"Paddy cultivation is limited in Thandwe. Most rice must be brought from Kyauktaw by motorboat or cargo vessel. While three trips were possible during the summer, only one trip can be made during the rainy season. Meanwhile, consumer demand keeps growing while rice supplies remain scarce, driving prices up steadily," a local man in Thandwe said.

Beyond the rising civilian casualties caused by junta airstrikes in Thandwe Township, local residents are facing further hardship as their livelihoods and daily means of survival deteriorate.

A junta airstrike on Thandwe Township on the afternoon of August 10 killed 14 people, injured 11 others and destroyed more than 20 residential homes and buildings, posing significant challenges for reconstruction.