The ULA/AA’s Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office (HDCO) announced that nearly 200 civilians have died as a result of the fighting that began in Rakhine State on November 13, 2023.
The announcement stated that 179 innocent civilians have died in the war in Rakhine State from 2023 November 13 to 2024 March 21.
“Now the military is firing with heavy weapons and launching aerial bombardment. Yesterday, Kyauktaw town was bombed by the junta plane, injuring more than 20 people. A student in grade 10 was killed. The list released by the Arakan Army is only up to mid-March. That’s why only over a hundred are on this list. In reality, the number of casualties to date is higher than those listed,” explained a social worker in the Rakhine Region.
The civilian death toll released by the AA’s Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office stated that 115 men and 64 women were killed.
“Right now, the people of Rakhine State are facing food shortages due to the junta’s roadblocks. Rakhine State is a state that mainly depends on the flow of goods from the mainland. Because of these blockades, when legal trade cannot be done, the prices of goods rise exponentially through illegal roads. The prices of necessities such as kitchen appliances are rising exponentially. Now, in addition to the war, we are facing a famine,” said a local resident of Minbya Township.
According to the AA’s Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office, 179 people have been killed and 468 injured in the more than 4-month Rakhine conflict.
The dead include 39 children under the age of 18, and the injured include 124 children under the age of 18.
“The local people were killed because of the war. They had to leave their homes and flee. If this continues, the locals will have to face more crises. There are no local products and there are many difficulties when the prices are high. As the people, they are not getting the full rights they deserve, and they are suffering badly,” said a human rights activist.
According to residents, as the military junta is facing losses in the Rakhine region, they are launching daily air attacks on places that are not military targets, villages, towns, IDP camps, hospitals, clinics, and religious buildings.