Border News Agency
Kyauktaw, June 1.
Displaced civilians in areas under the control of the Arakan Army say they are in urgent need of assistance for basic necessities, as they lack regular sources of income.
They said their livelihoods have been severely disrupted, with no access to steady jobs or income-generating activities. As a result, many are struggling to meet daily needs such as food, clothing, and shelter, and are now forced to rely on aid or begging to survive.
“We thought we would be displaced only temporarily and fled with just a few belongings. But now it’s been over a year, and everything we brought is gone,” said a displaced woman from Kyauktaw Township, speaking to Border News Agency. “There are no jobs available, and I have a large family to care for. We’ve been forced to rely on donations and beg to survive. What matters most now is not starving to death,” she added.
The displaced people are originally from Sittwe, Ponnakyun, and Thandwe townships, and they say they are facing worsening living conditions due to a lack of international humanitarian assistance.
As a result, many of them have been forced to go around neighboring villages to beg for food and basic necessities in order to survive, they told Border News Agency.
Among those displaced are children, persons with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women, and nursing mothers, according to the displaced community.
They are going from house to house – either individually or in small groups – moving from one village to another to beg for food and basic necessities, according to local Arakanese residents.
“In the village, people come around saying they are war refugees and ask for donations. Sometimes they come alone, sometimes in pairs, and sometimes in groups. They receive money or rice, but mostly they ask for rice. When asked where they’re from, they say they’re war-displaced. Every day, people come asking for help. They’re all war refugees,” said a local resident from Kyauktaw.
Those war-displaced people are struggling to survive and are out searching for food and daily necessities wherever they can. Despite the dangers of landmines and leftover weapons in the area, they say they have no choice but to move around and search for what they need, risking their lives in the process.
“I can’t even go up the hills to search for vegetables or fish anymore. I’m afraid of landmine risks. And there’s no daily work available because I’m living here as a displaced person. With the rainy season coming, there’s no job at all. I’m surviving by relying on donations and begging. As long as I don’t starve to death, I consider it a blessing. I’m no longer ashamed to beg,” a displaced woman from Ponnakyun Township told Border News Agency.
Due to the difficulties of traveling during the rainy season and the lack of stable access to food, displaced people say they are now forced to beg for survival, putting aside their dignity and pride in order to stay alive.
Nearly 700,000 people have been displaced by the ongoing war in Arakan, and most of them are still unable to return to their homes, according to displaced civilians.
