Road closure, fighting deepen livelihood crisis in Taungup mountain villages

By Admin 06 Nov 2026

DMG Newsroom

6 November 2026, Taungup

Residents of more than 10 villages along the Arakan mountain range, near the Taungup–Padaung road connecting Arakan State and Bago Region, are facing severe livelihood hardships due to ongoing armed conflict, according to local residents.

Before the conflict broke out, residents living along the Padaung–Taungup road in the Arakan mountain range relied on the overland route linking mainland Myanmar with Arakan State to earn a living by selling locally grown crops and seasonal food products to travellers and traders.

The road section has remained closed for more than two years due to ongoing conflict.

With travellers no longer using the route, local residents are facing multiple hardships affecting their livelihoods, healthcare, education and social well-being, residents told DMG.

"In the past, the road was open to Yangon and other mainland regions. People here had job opportunities because they could sell local crops and food items relying on travelers and traders. Since the war broke out and the roads closed, we can no longer sell anything," said a man from a village in the Arakan Mountains.

About 20 villages are located along the Padaung–Taungup road section in Taungup Township. Ethnic Chin people make up the majority of the population in these villages, according to local sources.

Residents primarily rely on subsistence shifting cultivation, gathering bamboo shoots, cutting bamboo and firewood, and hunting for their livelihoods.

This year, most shifting cultivation farms failed to produce crops, leaving residents without income and worsening their hardships, locals said.

"On our farms this year, heavy rains ruined many crops before they could grow properly. After growing, they mostly died off due to weather impacts. The crops failed, so we suffered yet another loss of income," he added.

The lack of job opportunities and income has also made it difficult for residents to access healthcare and keep their children in school, according to local accounts.

An education staff member working in a village in the Arakan mountain range said: "Since locals have no income, they cannot afford school fees, and children are dropping out of school. Some are no longer interested in attending school and drop out to help their parents make a living. Healthcare and education are being impacted in every way."

Some villages in the Arakan mountain range are far from Taungup town, making it difficult for residents to obtain medical treatment, particularly in emergencies.

Clashes between the military junta and the Arakan Army have continued in Padaung Township near the border between Arakan State and Bago Region, with local sources reporting frequent fighting.

As a result of the ongoing instability, residents of villages in the Arakan mountain range are facing multiple hardships affecting their livelihoods, health and social lives.