Displaced women in Thandwe need menstrual pads

By Admin 29 Jun 2024

DMG Newsroom
June 28, 2024, Thandwe

Displaced women in Arakan State’s Thandwe Township are in urgent need of menstrual pads and undergarments, according to volunteers helping those displaced.

Thousands of people displaced by the fighting in Thandwe are taking shelter at 16 displacement camps. The majority of them are women, elderly people and children.

“The displaced people need a variety of emergency supplies. Sixty percent of displaced people are women and they urgently need menstrual pads and underclothes. Stocks are running out, and they have financial difficulties buying them,” a volunteer told DMG.

The regime has blockaded routes in Thandwe Township since April, following the initial Arakkha Army’s (AA) attacks. Supplies are running out as a result. Most residents could not bring many clothes when they fled their homes in haste.

“We had never experienced fighting before. We fled with only the clothes on our backs,” said a displaced woman. “We didn’t bring menstrual pads or underwear. We have difficulties drying them while we flee. We have to wear wet underwear, which is a cause of concern for our health.”

One Thandwe woman said: “Women can suffer from health problems from wearing wet underwear. They can develop fungal infections in reproductive organs. What’s worse, we have no obstetrician or gynaecologist to see.”

Displaced people are also struggling due to price hikes resulting from shortages of goods. Fighting continues to rage in Thandwe Township as the AA seeks to seize the town.

More than 50,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in Thandwe, according to volunteers, with most needing food, shelter and healthcare services.