Junta airstrikes inflict deep psychological trauma on children in Arakan State

By Admin 24 Feb 2026

DMG Newsroom

24 February 2026, Ponnagyun

Children in Arakan State are suffering severe mental and physical trauma amid ongoing military conflict and airstrikes by Myanmar’s military regime, requiring urgent psychological support, according to civil society organizations (CSOs) assisting children.

Across the state, trauma is mounting as children face displacement, the loss of homes and family members, and repeated exposure to aerial attacks.

“We organized a drawing session for children to express their feelings. Almost every child drew airplanes. They depicted planes in different forms — some even drew them as sharks, saying the planes are man-eaters,” said Ko Pyae Phyo, in-charge of the Ponnagyun-based Lin Yaung Chi Foundation, in an interview with DMG.

The military regime has targeted non-military sites in Arakan State, including hospitals, clinics, schools, monasteries and residential areas. Attacks on civilian areas have intensified insecurity and heightened both psychological and physical distress.

Students are forced to flee classrooms and take shelter in bomb pits as soon as they hear aircraft overhead.

“Everyone is terrified when a plane comes. Some run to the bomb pits, others to their homes. Teachers tell us to stay down and not run, but in our panic, we just scatter. I am so scared,” said 12-year-old Ma Thuzar Hlaing, who lives in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Ponnagyun Township.

She added: “I’m constantly afraid, wondering if they will drop bombs here or there. We used to wave at planes in the past, but now we don’t even dare to look at them. We just jump into the bomb pits.”

Persistent fear and repeated displacement have forced schools to close, disrupting children’s education. Teachers say students are experiencing high stress levels and difficulty concentrating in class. CSO officials said the regime’s air threats have turned education into an atmosphere of constant fear.

“Children are frightened when they hear planes. It is very difficult. Schools have to close, and parents are afraid to send their children. Teaching is a struggle because we are always listening for aircraft. When a plane comes, the children run everywhere. It is heartbreaking,” said schoolteacher Ma Lat Lat.

To help ease the situation, a CSO is operating mobile libraries to provide children with a mental respite and support their psychological recovery.

CSOs stressed the urgent need to provide children with additional care and counseling to prevent long-term trauma. In previous years, similar mobile library programmes were conducted in IDP camps and villages to provide educational support and psychological relief.

According to a statement by the Arakan Army (AA), from November 13, 2023, to November 13, 2025, a total of 1,152 civilians were killed and 2,153 injured in Arakan State due to airstrikes, heavy artillery shelling and ground offensives by the military regime.