According to locals, a resident of Ann townshipin Rakhine State, died of food shortages and malnutrition due to the military junta’s blockade.
Starting in November last year, the military junta blocked the trade routes to Ann township, and due to these blockades, there was a food shortage in the township, and the locals did not get enough food. As a result, a 50-year-old man died on April 22 this year.
“As far as I know, he is from Bote Chaung. He died on the way while getting rice from the rough forest trail to the next village because there was no rice. The trail was rough; he was starving and could not hold it because of his age. Here, it is not always possible to carry rice from the rough trail like that, but sometimes are – because of the fear of landmines. Rice is no longer available in the town,” explained a resident of Ann.
Currently, the price of rice in Ann township is over MMK 10,000 per basket (one basket = two kg) and the residents of Ann are facing a situation where they cannot buy rice even though they have money.
“Even if we have money, we can’t buy rice. The villages are not as bad as the town, but some villages are running out of rice. Even the pets at home have to be killed for food,” explained the resident of Ann.
A resident of Rakhine also said that there are difficulties in livelihood during times when routes are blocked due to the current fighting between the Military Junta and the Arakan Army in Rakhine.
“There is no one who wants a war. If there is a war, both sides will be bankrupt in everything. Even now, we are paying five times more for basic consumer goods than before. Even though there is no fighting in our place, the roads are closed. It has been more than five months and almost six months. As a local resident, I hope to get peace as soon as possible,” said a Taungkok resident.
The Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office (HDCO) of the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) announced on April 4 that 179 civilians have been killed in the five months of resurgent fighting in Rakhine State after the military coup, and the death toll of civilians is still rising.