IDPs struggle to afford high rents in war-ravaged Arakan 

By Admin 03 Oct 2024

DMG Newsroom
3 October 2024, Sittwe

Nearly 600,000 people have been displaced by fighting between Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakkha Army (AA) in Arakan State, and many of them are struggling to pay high rents for accommodation.

While most internally displaced people (IDPs) are taking refuge in displacement camps, monasteries, schools or at the homes of relatives, some families have been forced to rent houses for various reasons including having elderly family members or large families.

The rent for a typical house in northern Arakan State has increased from 100,000 to 200,000 kyats before the fighting to between 400,000 and 500,000 kyats now.

“House owners are milking money from us,” said one man who fled from Sittwe to Kyauktaw Town. “But we can’t work in the new places, and we are struggling to make ends meet due to high commodity prices.”

House rents in Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Myebon, Minbya, Thandwe and other Arakan State townships controlled by the AA have increased after many IDPs fled to those townships.

House owners are asking for higher rents because civil society organisations and community-based organisations that have fled from conflict zones are also renting houses.

A displaced woman from Myebon Town explained: “House owners demand unreasonably high rents as the number of displaced people keeps increasing. They know that there will always be a family that can afford to pay. It is not convenient for large families to stay in [IDP] camps.”

The AA has seized control of 10 of 17 townships in Arakan State, with fighting still raging in several of the remaining townships including Maungdaw, Ann and Gwa.

One Maungdaw resident who is taking shelter in Kyauktaw Town said: “We fled amid the fighting. We have to incur a monthly rent of 400,000 kyats. We don’t know how long we will be able to endure. We don’t know how long the fighting will last.”