IDP returnees in Arakan State struggle to restore their lives 

By Admin 17 May 2024

DMG Newsroom
17 May 2024, Sittwe

Civilians displaced by the fighting in Arakan State are returning to their homes in areas controlled by the Arakkha Army (AA), but many are struggling to get back on their feet.

The majority of nearly 60,000 people displaced by the fighting between 2018 and 2023 are returning to their homes with the AA’s approval. Much has changed since their initial displacements for many, however, and rehabilitation concerns abound.

“We don’t have cows or harvesters to farm. We have yet to repair our houses, and we don’t know what to do when the rainy season comes,” said a returnee from Kyauktaw.

Residents who previously made a living by collecting firewood, bamboo and vegetables in forests and mountains, or fishing, are concerned about the danger of landmines and unexploded ordnance.

“It is good to return home. I would stay at home even if that would make me starve. I don’t want to live in displacement camps. We need a lot of assistance for rehabilitation. We want the AA to provide as much assistance as possible,” said a woman who recently returned to her home from a displacement camp in Mrauk-U Township.

IDPs received some assistance from local civil society organisations and international aid agencies while they were taking shelter at IDP camps. But they receive little to no aid these days, and many are struggling.

One resident who has returned to Chin State’s Paletwa Township said: “I have returned home just because of people’s attachment to their native places. It is extremely important to restore life here without any assistance. My house is crumbling and I have to live in it. I have no money and income to repair it. Those who can afford it have had their houses repaired. But the majority of returnees can’t afford to repair.”

Some 200,000 people have reportedly been displaced by the latest round of fighting in Arakan State since November.

The AA has seized Ponnagyun, Rathedaung, Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya, Pauktaw, Myebon, Ramree and Paletwa townships since launching its offensive against the regime on November 13.