1.7 million people in Arakan State need humanitarian assistance: UNOCHA Myanmar

19 Jan 2023

DMG Newsroom
19 January 2023, Sittwe

There are 17.6 million people in Myanmar who need humanitarian assistance, of which some 1.7 million people are from Arakan State, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) in Myanmar said in a statement this week.

According to a survey of 58 local civil society organisations, 17.6 million people in Myanmar are in need of livelihood assistance, better access to food and greater security, UNOCHA Myanmar said in the January 15 statement.

Among them, 1.7 million people from Arakan State are found to be most in need of livelihood and education support, according to UNOCHA Myanmar.

The Nyaungchaung displacement camp in Kyauktaw Township, where more than 3,000 people are sheltering, has received support from the government and charities, but it is not enough due to the large number of IDPs, according to camp officials.

“As the number of IDPs has increased since October, we are facing difficulties and are in need of shelter and food,” said U Than Aye, manager of the camp. “Now that summer is coming, there is a water problem for IDPs. Now the water in the lake used by the people in the displacement camp is about to dry up. The Nyaungchaung IDP camp faces water problems every summer.”

The total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Arakan State, including those who remain at displacement camps due to the 2018-2020 fighting between the military and Arakan Army, stood at about 90,000 earlier this year, according to a January 11 report from UNOCHA.

According to UNOCHA Myanmar’s statement, 88% of IDPs’ needs are food, 55% shelter, 35% protection services and 31% livelihood.

“We have not received food assistance from the government and charities on a regular basis. The Nippon Foundation provides a bag of rice to each IDP. There are a lot of people in the displacement camp who are in debt because they don’t get help,” said U Soe Naing, manager of the Tin Nyo IDP camp in Mrauk-U Townsip.

IDPs are facing difficulties and are struggling to make ends meet as Myanmar’s military regime continues to restrict the activities of local and international nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) from helping displaced people in Arakan State. Earlier this month, the regime eased a travel ban on local and international NGOs within Arakan State, but they still cannot travel as freely as they once did.

“IDPs still have difficulties with food. When it was difficult to live, IDPs changed their mentality and started to steal and rob,” said U Maung Tin Aung, manager of the Taungpaw (Muslim) displacement camp in Myebon Township. “Now, the displacement camp is mainly facing water problems, and the IDPs had not received any support for six months. We received food assistance this month.”

International organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP), International Committe of the Red Cross (ICRC), Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders (MSF) have been providing support to the IDPs in Arakan State, but their reach is limited by what the regime is willing to allow.