Kyaukphyu IDPs in Taungup urgently need humanitarian assistance amid worsening hardship

By Admin 19 May 2026

DMG Newsroom

19 May 2026, Taungup

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Kyaukphyu Township sheltering in Taungup Township are facing severe livelihood hardships due to the intensifying fighting in Kyaukphyu and are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, locals said.

The displaced people said they have been relying on self-support to survive amid soaring commodity prices, while receiving little to no humanitarian aid and facing a severe lack of job opportunities.

“Let alone curry and fish, we even have to reduce the amount of rice we cook. Since we arrived, we survived by pawning and selling the belongings we brought with us. Now, there is nothing left to sell. There are no jobs either,” a displaced woman said.

More than 1,000 households displaced from Kyaukphyu Township are currently sheltering near Pyinwun, Gyiphyutaung, and Kyauktalone villages, as well as in Maei Town of Taungup Township. Many are struggling to survive as aid remains limited.

Some IDPs said they have been living in those areas for nearly a year but have received very little support and are now urgently hoping for food assistance.

“When we first arrived, we only received two baskets of rice. We have never received anything besides that. We heard that some displaced people from other townships receive IDP allowances, and we also hope to receive such support. It has been nearly a year, and we still have not received anything,” another displaced woman said.

Although some organizations reportedly provide monthly assistance of around K50,000 to displaced people remaining in Kyaukphyu Township, those who relocated to Taungup Township are reportedly not included in the programme.

Among the displaced people sheltering in Taungup Township are residents who fled in advance during the military tensions in mid-2024 before the battle for control of Kyaukphyu intensified, as well as those who fled later due to escalating clashes.

“In reality, the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army should clearly inform people about which locations are eligible for IDP assistance and which are not. They should also ensure fair and equal support for displaced people facing hardships,” a displaced man said.

After the ULA/AA issued a warning in April 2024 urging Kyaukphyu residents to relocate to safe areas before fighting escalated, thousands of locals fled to Taungup Township and other safer locations.

Currently, due to artillery shelling and airstrike threats by regime forces, tens of thousands of residents from around 70 villages have abandoned their homes and fled to areas controlled by the ULA/AA as well as mainland Myanmar.

Fighting remains intense in Kyaukphyu Township between regime forces and the Arakan Army in areas around Sane Town, including Thaingchaung, Zinchaung, and Chaungmyaung villages, located about 10 miles from Kyaukphyu town.