Arakan IDPs face severe food shortages in rainy season

By Admin 11 Jul 2025

DMG Newsroom

11 July 2025, Mrauk-U

This rainy season, internally displaced people (IDPs) across Arakan State are reportedly facing severe unemployment and food shortages.

Many displaced people previously worked odd jobs to make ends meet, but now that it is the rainy season, they are facing a greater shortage of jobs due to flooding.

"IDPs are struggling to find food, so they beg for food from others. IDP men can find food on their own, but IDP women are not comfortable begging for food. Some IDP women have to go to other townships to beg for food from others," said Ko Oo Khin Kyaw, manager of a displacement camp in Mrauk-U Township.

There are more than 600,000 IDPs in areas controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), according to the Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office (HDCO).

IDPs in Arakan State receive little assistance and are forced to work odd jobs such as foraging for vegetables, fishing, and cutting down firewood to make ends meet.

IDPs say that some displacement camps are flooded, leaving them without work and facing severe food shortages.

"Some families without a male head of household have to beg for food. The displaced people are also starving and have to eat irregularly. Now, the displacement camps are flooded, making it difficult for the IDPs to survive," said Daw Than Than, an IDP woman from a displacement camp in Mrauk-U Township.

Heavy rains have caused flooding in at least five townships in Arakan State so far this month. Daw Than Than said that currently, displaced people have no income and cannot buy meat or fish, so they are forced to eat only vegetables grown near their homes.

"Sometimes we look for work in other villages and get work in the fields. We earn about K5,000 a day. So we want to work a lot to feed our children," said U Oo San Maung, an IDP man from Ponnagyun Township.

Since November 2023, the military regime has attempted to block all land and sea routes to Arakan State, and communication lines have been cut off.

Meanwhile, international and regional humanitarian organisations have also stopped providing assistance, further worsening the plight of IDPs.

As local businesses have also ceased to operate normally, job opportunities are increasingly rare for IDPs.