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.

Two children from Waithali Village in Mrauk-U Township, Arakan State, who sustained severe injuries from unexploded remnants of war, are in urgent need of financial support for ongoing medical treatment.

Children in Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, and Minbya Townships, areas under the control of the Arakan Army, are facing a rising outbreak of hepatitis, local residents and healthcare sources report.

Heavy fighting has erupted in recent days between Myanmar’s military regime and a coalition led by the Arakan Army (AA) near the junta’s No. 344 Artillery Regiment in Mrauksan Village, Yekyi Township, Ayeyarwady Region, according to military and local sources.

Indigenous communities in Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts say they are facing serious threats to their security and livelihoods due to the activities of Muslim armed groups, including the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the Rohingya Solidarity Organization (RSO), according to local sources.

Since renewed fighting between Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakan Army (AA) in late 2023, people across Arakan State have been grappling with soaring commodity prices and a severe shortage of jobs.

The relocation of equipment from the VPower power plant in Kyaukphyu Township, a joint venture between Chinese state-owned CNTIC and Hong Kong-based VPower Group, is nearing completion amid escalating tensions in Arakan State.

Free education centers serving displaced children in Arakan State are facing serious sustainability challenges as financial assistance declines, officials say.

Displaced women say that amid scarce job opportunities and soaring commodity prices, their daily income from casual labour , often around K10,000, is no longer enough to keep up with the rising cost of living, triggering a severe livelihood crisis.

Political analysts say Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, chief of Myanmar’s military regime, may assume either the role of State Counsellor or President in the new government the junta plans to form after the election.

Hindus living in Arakan State are expressing hope for improvements in education, expanded opportunities, and better livelihoods under the administrative mechanism of the Arakan Army (AA).

Ongoing conflict in Arakan State and the threat of airstrikes by Myanmar’s military regime have brought pagoda festivals and traditional zat pwe performances to a complete halt for more than two years, leaving Arakanese performers struggling to make ends meet.

All trade routes between India and Arakan State, which had been suspended following the death of an Indian truck driver, were fully reopened on the morning of February 20, according to local merchants.

Two men were killed and two others injured in an airstrike carried out by the military regime on Thayetcho Village in Laytaung Town, Ramree Township, Arakan State, at around 11 a.m. on February 19, according to local residents.

Bo Nagar, leader of the Burma National Revolutionary Army (BNRA), defected to the military regime on February 19, according to an announcement by junta-controlled media.

Freedom of expression and media rights are being restricted in areas controlled by revolutionary forces under security and military pretexts, according to a report released on Tuesday by Athan, a freedom of expression advocacy group.

Local residents in Arakan State have voiced growing concern over the deteriorating condition of ancient pagodas and historical monuments damaged during armed conflict, as ongoing instability hampers maintenance and restoration efforts.

The border trade route between India and Arakan State has officially reopened in Mizoram’s Siaha District, according to a statement by the Mara Thyutlia Py (MTP), a local youth organization based in the district.

The Arakan Army (AA) officially handed over 73 Bangladeshi fishermen detained for illegal fishing in Arakan waters to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on the evening of February 16.