More than 600 internally displaced people (IDPs) at a camp in a Ponnagyun Township industrial zone have reportedly been facing food shortages for some two months.

The World Food Programme (WFP) and junta-controlled Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement had been providing rice to the displacement camp in Arakan State. But the IDPs have not received any food aid from the ministry for about two months and have had to borrow rice from others, said U Than Htay, manager of the displacement camp.

“We have not received food aid from the Ministry of Social welfare, Relief and Resettlement and WFP since February. The ministry would not provide the IDPs with food items in February and March, an official said. IDPs are facing livelihood hardships due to lack of job opportunities. IDPs at the camp are struggling to make ends meet,” he told DMG.

About 650 people from 165 households from villages such as Thazi, Kyaukseik, and Doe Tan in Ponnagyun Township are currently taking refuge at the IDP camp.

“We are short of food,” said Daw Aye Chay, an IDP from the camp. “We are starving because we do not have rice supplies. The people in the displacement camp are worried because there are no job opportunities. There are many difficulties in the displacement camp.”

DMG contacted U Thurein Tun, director of the Arakan State Department of Disaster Management, about IDP claims that the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement had not provided food assistance over the past two months, but he could not be reached.

At the height of the 2018-2020 conflict between the Myanmar military and Arakan Army,  more than 230,000 IDPs had fled their homes due to clashes in Arakan State.

Tens of thousands of IDPs have returned home, as a halt to the fighting in earnest has prevailed for more than a year. Many more remain in displacement camps and hope to return home, but are unable or unwilling to do so due to the risk of landmines, nearby military deployments, lack of shelter, job scarcity and other hardships wrought of the mental and physical damages of war.