CSOs in Mrauk-U arrange to provide food supplies for local IDPs

By DMG 14 Aug 2021

DMG Newsroom
14 August 2021, Mrauk-U 

Civil society organisations in Mrauk-U town are arranging to provide food supplies for IDPs in Mrauk-U Township, Arakan State, as the pandemic continues to complicate the already tenuous existences of the displaced.  

IDPs have called for assistance in the face of food shortages, and CSOs in the town discussed providing food supplies for the IDPs, said U Ba Nyunt, chairperson of the Mrauk-U CSO Network. 

“IDPs phoned us [asking] to be provided medicines, foodstuffs and nutritious food for children. So, we discussed with CSOs in the town how they can participate in the help,” he said. 

Civil society organisations have financial difficulties to provide food supplies for IDPs but they will expend their funds and will also collect donations from donors, CSOs said, starting with provisioning of IDP camps in Mrauk-U Township and expanding to displacement camps in other Arakan State townships if funding allows for it, according to the Mrauk-U CSO Network. 

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which had been providing Arakan State IDP camps with monthly rations of rice and other food supplies, has suspended those deliveries indefinitely, as of August 11. 

“During the Covid-19 outbreak, IDPs cannot go outside their camps to work. As they are not provided food supplies by ICRC, the situation of the IDPs is worse,” said Ko Tun Naing Lin, a member of the Mrauk-U Township University Students’ Union. 

Mra Tazaung, Sinbawkaing, Tin Nyo, Myothit, Zeditaung, Mro Oo Gaung, Kyauk Ritz Kay and Shwe Hti Saung IDP camps in Mrauk-U Township had primarily depended on the food supplies provided by ICRC. 

Responding to an emailed inquiry from DMG, the ICRC said the continuation of an ongoing, weeks-long public holiday has disrupted the ICRC’s aid conveyance and delayed food deliveries scheduled for the coming weeks due to new logistics regulations issued by Arakan State officials. 

Though it has been about 10 months without active conflict in Arakan State, more than 100,000 IDPs have yet to return home. 

IDPs who fled their homes due to fighting between the Tatmadaw and Arakan Army in Arakan State from 2018 to 2020 have often relied on humanitarian aid provided by the ICRC, World Food Programme and the Myanmar government’s Department of Disaster Management.