Hundreds of residents of Kyanyokan village in Ponnagyun Township, Arakan State, fled their homes on May 1 amid a hail of artillery shells and small arms fire, according to locals.

April proved to be another bloody month in Arakan State as at least 32 civilians were killed and 68 were injured, according to DMG’s on-the-ground reporting, with conflict between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army continuing to upend lives. 

Locals are demanding that the government cut the proverbial ribbon on a newly constructed bridge connecting Kyaukphyu and Ramree townships as soon as possible.

Dwellings in poor condition at camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Arakan State are being repaired with donated cash as the rainy season draws nearer, according to those assisting the displaced.

The President’s Office has announced the formation of a committee to investigate the deadly attack on a World Health Organization (WHO) vehicle last week in Minbya Township, Arakan State. 

The Maungdaw District General Administration Department this week auctioned off 167 cows and three motorboats that were seized from illegal trade to Bangladesh through Maungdaw Township in northern Arakan State.

Sittwe is reporting shortages as trucks transporting commodities have been unable to reach the city, with the supply chain disrupted by clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Arakan Army along the highway used to get the goods to market.  

A local resident was wounded by a landmine blast in the mountains about a mile outside of Thar Si Gone village in Arakan State’s Rathedaung Township on April 29, according to family members.

A 14-year-old girl was struck by a stray bullet as gunfire was reported in Nat Taung village, Ponnagyun Township, at about noon on April 29, according to the victim’s family members. 

Commodities destined for Sittwe will be sent via a new shipping route as trucks transporting goods have been unable to reach the Arakan State capital since the end of the Thingyan holiday due to hostilities in neighbouring Minbya Township, according to the Rakhine State Chambers of Commerce and Industry. 

The Tatmadaw has accused the Arakan Army (AA) of detaining a police officer from the force based in Mrauk-U, Arakan State, on the morning of April 26.

A local food shop was hit by an artillery shell on April 27 in the town of Mrauk-U, Arakan State, injuring the shop’s owner and two of his employees. 

Residents of Mrauk-U, Arakan State, are concerned for their safety after the sound of gunfire could be heard across the ancient city on Sunday evening.

Internally displaced people (IDPs) who are sheltering at schools may soon face troubles with their living arrangements as it is likely that the schools will reopen in June, said U Oo Tun Win, the Pyithu Hluttaw lawmaker for Arakan State’s Kyauktaw Township. 

The Sanyin IDP camp in Myebon Township, Arakan State, is expecting to face a food shortage in the coming days because relief aid groups have been unable to reach the settlement.

A 13-year-old girl living in Gantgaw Myaing village, Buthidaung Township, received a minor injury to her right foot when artillery fire struck the village at around 10 a.m. on April 26, according to a local official.

People travelling via land or air routes to the Arakan State capital Sittwe will be quarantined for 21 days as part of efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19, according to the Arakan Humanitarian Coordination Team (AHCT).

The Shwe Pyi Tan ferry service in Arakan State, which was suspended earlier this month as part of a raft of measures put in place nationwide to prevent the spread of coronavirus, is to resume operations on April 27, said the manager of the boat service.

With the monsoon season arriving and forecasts for widespread rain over the coming days, IDP camp managers and lawmakers are expressing concern about the adequacy of accommodation at the temporary settlements in Arakan State, where more than 150,000 people are displaced.