Junta denies looting, torching WFP food warehouse in Maungdaw

By Admin 27 Jun 2024

DMG Newsroom
27 June 2024, Sittwe

Myanmar’s military regime has denied looting and destroying a World Food Programme warehouse in Arakan State’s Maungdaw Township over the weekend.

Junta spokesman Major-General Zaw Min Tun said local Muslims moved goods from the food storage warehouse after Arakkha Army (AA) troops attempted to seize the warehouse on June 21. He also accused the AA of conducting drone attacks on the warehouse.

“Local Bengalis (Muslims) moved the goods out of the warehouse to safe locations after they learnt that the AA was trying to seize them. After the AA found out, it used drones to attack the warehouse,” said Zaw Min Tun.

Food supplies from the warehouse were provided to more than 2,000 households in six wards in urban Maungdaw, said Zaw Min Tun.

Previously, the regime claimed it had supplied rice to Muslims in Maungdaw, before Zaw Min Tun admitted that those food supplies belonged to the WFP.

Fighting has been raging between the regime and the AA in Maungdaw. Junta troops are deployed across the town to defend against the AA’s attacks.

The AA released a video file purportedly showing junta troops looting and torching the WFP warehouse in Waithali Village, Maungdaw Township, on June 21.

One Maungdaw resident said: “The fighting is fierce in Maungdaw and the regime is even struggling to send weapons to its troops there. Where can it get food supplies to provide the people? I doubted it when the regime said it provided rice supplies to Muslims on June 22.”

The WFP in a statement on Tuesday condemned the looting and torching of its warehouse, though it did not assign blame for the acts.

According to the WFP, 11,75 metric tonnes of emergency food supplies, enough to feed 64,000 people for one month, were stored at the warehouse.