Rathedaung IDPs facing growing hardship amid shortage of aid

By Admin 18 Oct 2025

DMG Newsroom

18 October 2025, Rathedaung

Displaced people in Rathedaung Township, Arakan State, are facing worsening living conditions due to a severe shortage of humanitarian assistance, particularly food, shelter, and medical supplies, according to local sources.

Thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Rathedaung and Sittwe townships are currently taking refuge in Rathedaung Township. With little to no aid arriving, many are struggling to access basic necessities, while children suffer from malnutrition and families go without regular meals.

“It’s been over six months since we last received any relief aid. Some organizations come just to collect lists, but no actual support follows. Commodity prices have skyrocketed, making it even harder to survive. Some displaced people can’t even afford daily meals,” said a 30-year-old woman from Sittwe who has been sheltering in Rathedaung.

Since the resumption of fighting in November 2023, economic conditions across Arakan State have sharply deteriorated under junta-imposed blockades, leading to inflation, widespread unemployment, and food insecurity.

Among the hardest hit are displaced people who fled the fighting, many of whom face far greater challenges than local residents.

IDPs say they are struggling with soaring commodity prices, limited access to aid, lack of job opportunities, and prolonged displacement, which has left them unable to return home.

“It’s been nearly two years since we fled. We have no idea when we’ll be able to return. Since we arrived, we’ve only received relief three times — each time about 30,000 kyats per person. Now, all the jewelry and belongings we brought with us have been sold just to survive,” said another displaced woman from Rathedaung Township.

There are currently more than 9,000 IDPs in Rathedaung Township, many originally from Rathedaung, Sittwe, Buthidaung, Maungdaw, and Thandwe townships, according to volunteers assisting the displaced.

Most IDPs are sheltering in Kamae IDP Camp, Zedi Pyin Camp, and other makeshift sites, or staying with relatives in nearby villages.

Due to limited assistance, some displaced families have been forced to rely on donations from local philanthropists, aid workers said.

“Some groups do come to help occasionally, but it’s far from enough. The number of displaced people keeps growing, while donors are fewer than before. Many IDPs have turned to begging or doing odd jobs to survive. It’s getting worse because there’s no steady livelihood,” said a local volunteer involved in relief efforts.

With the onset of the cold season, displaced families are also in urgent need of warm clothing and blankets, according to aid workers.

Although the Arakan Army (AA) fully captured Rathedaung Township on March 17, 2024, residents have not yet been able to return home due to continued shelling by junta battalions based in Sittwe.

Frequent artillery attacks from Sittwe toward Rathedaung have also caused casualties among displaced civilians, locals said.