Interview
In Sittwe city, which is controlled by the Myanmar junta, there are still tens of thousands of civilians who have been forcibly confined within the city.
The civilians in Sittwe are reportedly facing hunger due to skyrocketing commodity prices, lack of job opportunities, and the absence of humanitarian assistance.
The Myanmar junta has stationed the State Government Office and the Regional Military Command in Sittwe town, where government officials also reside, and has sealed off all entry and exit routes.
Only the air route from Sittwe to Yangon remains open, while all land and sea routes have been strictly closed.
It is reported that civilians, including war refugees in Sittwe, are facing severe hunger.
Female war refugees have shared the situation in Sittwe city, including these conditions, with Border News Agency.
They described what the current situation in Sittwe is like and what is happening there.
A female war refugee explained the hardships and experiences that they are facing and witnessing.
There is only occasional shooting now. For the moment, it’s relatively calm.
On Saturdays and Sundays, if there are donors, people might receive five cans of rice, oil, or sometimes four cans — depending on the distribution. This happens about once a week.
As for cooked rice, it is distributed in the neighborhoods once every three or four days, and usually at about 3 pm They also provide a small amount of curry and fish, just enough to get by.
There are also over a hundred houses and around fifty-two schools still remaining.
However, assistance is not received regularly. Sometimes they get support, but not consistently every month.
In the past, we used to receive personal hygiene items and financial support as well. When rice was distributed, they also provided some support money. But now, that has stopped. Things are no longer as manageable as they used to be. Even the people who used to come and help are no longer coming. It seems the number of displaced people has increased.
The personal hygiene items included toothbrushes, toothpaste, slippers, and more.
The assistance lasted for about one, two, or three months. Each person used to receive one bucket of rice (per household) and about 20,000 kyats.
How can we survive? We have to find food here and there, meal by meal. If we eat breakfast, we often have to skip dinner; if we eat dinner, we miss breakfast. That’s how we are living.
When things get really difficult, we rely on donations from monasteries, receiving small portions of rice just one or two bowls at a time.
In my family, there are four of us here. My mother is 77 years old. My husband is 42, and I am 42 as well. We also have a 12-year-old son who is currently a Buddhist novice. Even our young son has fallen ill. For medical treatment, there used to be a free clinic organized by the Red Cross that visited the school every seven days.
However, because their visits don’t always align with when we fall sick, we haven’t been able to receive timely emergency care. Although the clinic itself is free, the cost of traveling there adds up. And while basic treatment is available, it’s often not effective enough, so we end up having to purchase additional medicines from outside.
Living conditions are manageable for now.
However, firewood has become quite scarce recently. Currently, one bundle of firewood, enough for just one meal, costs around 2,400 kyats sometimes even close to 3,000 kyats. Cooking just a small pot of rice can cost around 3,000 kyats.
In our village, many houses are abandoned, and the homes are being sold off. It has been over a year since we last visited our village. Even if we were to return, we wouldn’t be able to recognize the place where we once lived. We no longer have homes, and we haven’t even been able to afford clothes to wear.
In our village, there are no houses left on the eastern side. On the side where we used to live, only 63 houses remain. Out of these 63 houses, 62 have been demolished and are no longer standing. Only one house is still intact, but the remaining 62 houses are completely gone.
The houses were torn down using bulldozers, and the valuable materials were taken away. There are no homes left. It’s not just in our village; even in the neighboring old and new villages, there are no houses remaining.
In our area, even the doors made of iron at the monasteries are no longer there.
What we are most concerned about now is the lack of food. We are no longer afraid of the fighting if it happens, it happens. Our main fear is hunger. When we arrived, there was nothing to criticize, but we can’t avoid the hunger.
I have one son, and he has gone to live with his father. I love my son dearly, but because of this pain, I can’t eat or sleep.
I don’t have enough to eat or drink. I can’t do anything to provide for myself. I only eat when aid is given. When the rice runs out, I won’t have money to buy more. These are the kinds of difficulties we’ve been facing. Even when I manage to cook rice, I have nothing to make curry with. These struggles are what we’ve been going through.
I am suffering from emotional trauma. My family members are scattered, with one here and one there. I can’t even get in touch with them on the phone. Sometimes, when I feel down, I can’t enjoy food or sleep. My mind is deeply hurt. From 9 PM onwards, I can’t go anywhere. Although I can go to the city, there are still places I can’t reach. I am also no longer able to go to the Sat Yoe Kya Bridge area. There is a check every month.
No one knows what’s happening here, and it’s very difficult to maintain contact.
Sometimes, I can’t sleep, and I feel restless. These issues and problems seem like they will never end, and it weighs heavily on my mind.
Thinking about food and basic necessities is one thing; thinking about how my children are doing is another. Then, when health problems arise, worrying about money becomes another concern. I am still constantly worried and burdened by these different things.
