At least 1,000 Maungdaw Twsp villagers flee to Bangladesh

By Admin 14 May 2024

DMG Newsroom
14 May 2024, Maungdaw

At least 1,000 local people from villages in northern Maungdaw Township on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border have reportedly fled to Bangladesh since March due to ongoing military tensions and conflict.

Around 1,000 residents from Paungzar, Hlabawzar and Gunar villages fled to Bangladesh due to fighting that broke out in early March.

“As these villages are close to Bangladesh, the residents fled to that side. Now there are thousands of people who have fled to Bangladesh. It is difficult to get an accurate list,” said a social activist in Maungdaw.

Clashes in March and April displaced about 1,000 local people from some villages in northern Maungdaw such as Kyeinchaung, Thittone Narkhwasone, Tamanthar, Aungthabyay and Khamaungseik, and the displaced people sought refuge in Bangladesh.

The displaced people are taking shelter in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar and in border villages in the Chittagong region. They have requested that their exact locations not be revealed due to the security situation. Many of the displaced are in desperate need of food assistance.

“The displaced people are reportedly taking refuge in villages where Arakanese people live on the border. The IDPs are facing livelihood hardships and are unable to return home due to fierce fighting in Maungdaw,” said a local resident in Maungdaw.

Thousands of residents have reportedly been stranded in downtown Maungdaw as the regime closed security checkpoints, and break-ins of the home are reported.

The AA is stepping up attacks on the junta’s BGF battalions and military camps to control the entire Maungdaw region, with the regime using artillery and warplanes to defend against the AA onslaught.

The number of people displaced by the latest hostilities in Arakan State, which began on November 13, has surpassed 166,000, according to a United Nations report on May 6.