Residents in AA-held Buthidaung in need of emergency aid

By Admin 27 Jul 2024

DMG Newsroom
27 July 2024, Buthidaung

Local people in Buthidaung Town, which is currently held by the Arakkha Army (AA), are reportedly in need of food and medicines.

Hospitals and clinics in Buthidaung are closed and pharmacies have been looted, causing shortages of medicines and attendant health problems, residents said.

“We can’t buy medicine even if we are sick. Pregnant women face health issues due to lack of hospitals and clinics in Buthidaung,” said Daw Tin Tin Mya, a Muslim woman from Buthidaung.

During the rainy season, influenza and mosquito-borne malaria are ongoing concerns, and many residents are in urgent need of healthcare.

At present, Buthidaung Town is mostly inhabited by Muslims and Hindus, and a total of 200 ethnic people such as Arakanese, Chakma, Khami, Mro and Chin are living there.

Residents say although the AA is providing healthcare and food assistance to residents living in Buthidaung, needs remain.

“We face various difficulties regarding accommodation and food,” said Daw May Nah, a Hindu woman in Buthidaung.

About 200,000 displaced people who are taking refuge in AA-controlled areas, including Muslims from Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships, are in need of food and medicine, according to the AA.
Among those displaced, an estimated 80 percent are Muslims, and the remaining 20 percent are ethnic groups such as Arakanese, Daingnet and Hindu, the AA said.

During the battle for control of the town in May, more than 2,900 homes in Buthidaung Town were destroyed by fire, Buthidaung market was burnt to ashes, and shops in the town were also ransacked.