Border News Agency
Pauktaw, October 2

Displaced people living in several IDP camps in Pauktaw Township, which is controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), are facing severe difficulties meeting their basic needs because humanitarian aid and relief assistance have reportedly been suspended, according to displaced residents.

Displaced people said that ten IDP camps in Pauktaw Township have been without humanitarian assistance for a prolonged period.

“It has been a long time since we received any assistance. When we asked the camp administrators why, they told us that our camp had been cut off from humanitarian assistance. We don’t know why it was suspended,” a displaced woman from Pauktaw Township told Border News Agency.

Displaced residents said that, in addition to the suspension of humanitarian assistance, rising rice prices and the increasing cost of basic commodities have pushed them toward a situation in which they may face food shortages and hunger.

“In the past, we received financial assistance once every two or three months. Now, it has been a long time since we received any support. Meanwhile, rice prices have increased, so what used to be enough for one day’s food is now only enough for one meal. We are barely surviving. Please pay attention to the plight of the displaced people,” a displaced man told Border News Agency.

Many local residents from Sittwe Township have continued to flee to Pauktaw Township as displaced people because of the danger posed by artillery shelling and airstrikes by the Myanmar military.

The displaced people said they are facing numerous difficulties and are in urgent need of food assistance, as well as support for shelter during the rainy season and healthcare services.