Border News Agency
Mrauk-U, October 20.
Women displaced by armed conflicts in the Arakha region are facing shortages of food, medicine and other basic necessities, according to displaced women.
Although they have temporarily sought refuge in displacement camps and temporary shelters to escape the effects of the conflict, their daily struggles have become increasingly difficult due to unemployment, restrictions on movement and rising commodity prices, displaced women said.
“When the war broke out, all our jobs and livelihoods were destroyed. We are the ones responsible for taking care of both our children and elderly family members at home. We have had to cut down considerably on our food consumption, and without assistance, our situation has become a matter of life and death,” a displaced woman told Border News Agency.
Women in displacement camps are struggling to secure food for their families while also shouldering the responsibility of caring for children and elderly family members, displaced women said.
“Support specifically addressing the safety and healthcare needs of women and children in displacement camps is extremely limited. The lack of electricity and secure protective shelters also leaves women facing numerous safety concerns,” a woman involved in assisting displaced people told Border News Agency.
In addition, restrictions on information and internet access, along with limitations on road and waterway transportation, have made it extremely difficult for humanitarian assistance from outside the region to reach displacement camps, Arakha residents said.
“Amid the conflict, women have not only lost their income-generating jobs but have also had to take on greater family caregiving responsibilities. However, the provision of targeted protection and livelihood assistance for women remains extremely limited,” a woman working on women’s issues in the region told Border News Agency.
According to data released by UNDP Myanmar to mark the International Day of Rural Women, in Myanmar’s agricultural communities, only 49 percent of women own land, compared with 64 percent of men.
Furthermore, during the economic crisis, 42 percent of women have no income whatsoever, compared with 23 percent of men. Women also continue to shoulder the majority of unpaid caregiving responsibilities, according to the data.
