Maternal, newborn deaths reported across Arakan amid healthcare shortages

By Admin 12 Nov 2026

DMG Newsroom

12 November 2026, Mrauk-U

Maternal and newborn deaths continue to be reported in Arakan State amid severe shortages of medicine and nutritious food, financial hardship and limited access to healthcare, according to local sources.

At least five cases of maternal deaths during childbirth or in the immediate postpartum period were reported in October across Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Rathedaung, Gwa and Kyaukphyu townships.

"From the very beginning of their pregnancies, they face severe nutritional deficiencies. Even if they manage to eat, it is often just a single measure of rice. There is nothing nutritious available for the mother or the child. Many expectant mothers cannot even afford basic supplements like folic acid as their pregnancy progresses," said Ko Naing Lin Tun, a charity worker from Kyaukphyu Township.

He added: "When it finally comes time to give birth, many struggle to deliver, and even if babies are born, they often suffer from disabilities or fail to survive. Last month, we had to perform funerals for both a mother and her baby who died under these exact circumstances."

Many expectant mothers in Arakan State face financial barriers that prevent them from maintaining adequate diets during pregnancy or affording hospital and clinic visits for maternal healthcare and regular checkups.

Shortages of medicine and nutritious food, combined with limited access to medical services, put pregnant women and newborns at greater risk. Local sources also report cases of infants dying before receiving medical treatment.

International organizations and civil society groups also face constraints in providing adequate maternal and prenatal care, leaving many community-level humanitarian needs unmet.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian crisis is worsening amid continuing military junta airstrikes on civilian areas and infrastructure, including healthcare facilities and public markets.

On November 1, a military airstrike hit a temporary maternity clinic in Mrauk-U, killing five people, including a newborn baby, and injuring nine others.

A humanitarian worker assisting displaced people in Gwa Township said: "In our area, we also see newborn deaths occurring, not necessarily from malnutrition, but from delayed medical treatment. This is due to the remote distances required to reach hospitals and clinics, as well as the inability to afford medical care."

Grassroots charity groups often struggle to respond to medical emergencies because of shortages of ambulances, delays in communication and critical blood shortages, which can contribute to preventable deaths.

On October 26, a woman in Pyinhla Village, Kyauktaw Township, died at home from severe bleeding following childbirth.

"On the day marking the end of the Buddhist Lent in Pyinhla Village, she gave birth at home because she could not travel to a hospital or clinic, and she tragically passed away from excessive bleeding during the delivery," said a local woman from Kyauktaw Township.

In October, a woman in Kyeeyarpyin Village, Mrauk-U Township, also died a few hours after giving birth at home, although her baby survived.

In Tunyawai Village, Rathedaung Township, a woman gave birth to twins, but one of the babies became ill and died before reaching a hospital.

Similar cases were reported in Taungup and Kyaukphyu townships, highlighting the continuing lack of access to adequate healthcare for pregnant women and children across Arakan State.