Restrictions on aid agencies deepen woes for displaced civilians in Arakan State

By Admin 18 Nov 2023

DMG Newsroom
18 November 2023, Sittwe

Arakan State residents recently displaced by the renewed fighting between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army (AA) are suffering from junta restrictions on humanitarian operations in the state.

The regime has raided the offices of local and international nongovernmental organisations as well as civil society organisations (CSOs) in Arakan State since early November, forcing some CSOs to flee.

It has also blockaded roads and waterways in Arakan State since the fresh fighting erupted on November 13, making it impossible for aid agencies to provide humanitarian supplies to displaced people.

An official of an Arakan State-based NGO said: “The military council is arresting anyone. So it is not an easy thing to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need. And the number of people who need humanitarian assistance keeps growing.”

More than 40,000 people have been displaced by the fighting since Monday, and civilian casualties continue to rise. Displaced people need food, clothes, shelter, and healthcare services. To make matters worse, it has been raining heavily in Arakan State.

“It has been raining heavily, and we have no shelter. We fled with only the clothes on our backs, and we could take nothing else,” said a woman who fled from Pauktaw town.

Civilians who have fled their homes are being helped by local communities in neighbourhoods where they are currently taking shelter. However, there is imminent risk of food shortages due to the junta’s travel restrictions.

A member of a CSO based in Mrauk-U said: “The military council is killing people by using various means. The prohibition of social organisations amounts to killing people in trouble.”

A statement issued by the United Nations on November 15 expressed concerns for the safety of civilians in conflict zones in Myanmar including Arakan State, urging stakeholders to abide by international humanitarian law and protect the people. It also called for unrestricted access to conflict zones for delivery of humanitarian aid.