The internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sittwe, which remains under the control of the military junta, are reportedly in urgent need of basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter.
These IDPs say they have no regular income as they are unable to find jobs, and they are also not receiving any international humanitarian assistance.
As a result, many of them are struggling even to have enough rice to eat on a daily basis, according to the displaced people themselves.
“If we eat in the morning, we can’t eat at night. If we eat at night, there’s nothing for the morning that’s how we live now,” said a displaced woman from Sittwe to Border News Agency.
Locals in Sittwe say the military junta has forcibly confined civilians inside the town, which is why tens of thousands of people are still stuck there.
These civilians are now facing hunger due to soaring commodity prices, lack of employment opportunities, and the absence of humanitarian aid, according to the displaced people.
“The cost of firewood alone is 5,000 to 6,000 kyats per day. There’s no more aid coming in we’re just starving now,” a displaced person from Sittwe told Border News Agency.
The military junta has blocked entry and exit to Sittwe, as it has stationed the state administration office and the Regional Operations Command there, where government officials are residing.
However, the people who are trapped inside the town say they fear starvation more than the risk of being harmed by potential fighting, according to the displaced individuals.
“We fear starvation more than the fighting,” said a displaced woman from Sittwe to Border News Agency.
Civilians and government workers being locked inside the town by the military junta is seen by the people as a strategy to shield the junta’s military from harm in the event of fighting, providing protection for the junta.
However, human rights activists have pointed out that this action violates international humanitarian law and constitutes war crimes due to the severe restrictions imposed on civilians.
In the final stages of the Arakan war, the Arakan Army has taken control of fifteen townships, including Paletwa, and is operating administrative machinery in those areas.
Only three townships Sittwe, Kyaukphru, and Mrauk U remain under the control of the military junta, and intense fighting continues in both Sittwe and Kyaukphru.
