Border News Agency
Kyauktaw, July 5.
Young, displaced students from Arakan are having to work to support themselves with basic needs like food, clothing, and shelter.
Since the beginning of the conflict, displaced people have faced difficulties in meeting their basic needs due to a lack of international humanitarian assistance.
As a result, displaced students say they are taking on whatever work they can find to help support their families’ daily survival.
“There are days when I feel exhausted and unwell from carrying goods. I earn a little over 20,000 kyats a day, but it’s not enough even to see a doctor. My family is back in the village, so I had to move to the town alone to find work. I can’t afford to visit the clinic, and that’s why I keep doing this job, even though it’s very tiring. I used to go to school peacefully, but ever since I started this work, it’s been unbearable at times. Carrying heavy loads feels beyond what I can handle,” said a young, displaced student from Kyauktaw Township in an interview with Border News Agency.
Since the outbreak of the Arakan war, the Myanmar junta has not only cut off transportation routes but also restricted international humanitarian organizations from operating in the region.
Displaced people say their survival has become increasingly difficult, as the junta forces have also carried out airstrikes on displacement camps and schools, putting even their most basic safety at risk.
“I had to put my education on hold. Making a living has become more important than going to school. Right now, I’m struggling alone to support my family’s basic needs. If I ever get the chance to return to school, I want to enjoy learning again with my friends,” said a displaced student from Ponnakyun Township in an interview with Border News Agency.
These displaced youth are mostly students under the age of eighteen. Although they wish to continue their education, they say they’ve been forced to take on any work they can find in order to survive and support their families.
Most of these displaced individuals are originally from Sittwe Township, though others have come from townships like Ponnakyun and Pauktaw as well, according to local sources.
The Arakan Army currently controls 15 townships, including the Paletwa region, and is implementing administrative mechanisms under the banner of the Arakan People’s Government.
Although the Arakan government is working to establish an education system, displaced people say that many students are still unable to continue their studies because a free education system has yet to be implemented.
