The Junta is urging NGO and INGO staff who have departed Sittwe Township in Rakhine State who had feared the war would soon engulf the state capital, to reconsider and return..
" Since March, a lot of NGO and INGO workers in Sittwe have relocated to Yangon and other mainland regions. There have been reports of reduced salaries for staff in Yangon, while some departed to liberated areas. Recently the Junta has encouraged their return to Sittwe, and some are heeding the call, enticed by the prospect of receiving their full salary once more”, a source told Narinjara.
Since the restart of fighting between the Arakha Army (AA) and the Junta, the activities of NGOs and INGOs situated and operating in Rakhine State have massively declined leading to job losses and livelihood hardships for some staff. The operational capacity of NGOs and INGOs has significantly decreased, hampering the distribution of humanitarian aid in Rakhine State.
"In Rakhine State, the Junta has blocked roads and increased security measures, limiting movement to townships except Sittwe, disrupting the operations of NGOs and INGOs. Now with the Junta's call for staff to return to Sittwe, a crucial concern arises: who will ensure their safety?”, the source added.
An internally displaced person (IDP) in Ponnagyun Township emphasized that many communities severely impacted by Cyclone Mocha in Rakhine State, continue to require immediate assistance, including food, shelter, and other essential aid.
"We have not received much help from organizations. WFP (World Food Programme) has not been able to assist us for months. Most people in our community are struggling to make ends meet, and rely on occasional manual labor jobs”, he said.
In September of last year, the Junta mandated that all NGOs and INGOs operating in Myanmar to provide humanitarian aid, must register without exception.
Many NGOs, INGOs, and civil society groups engaged in humanitarian efforts in Rakhine have been compelled to halt their operations due to hurdles such as, rigorous checkpoint inspections and the Junta's refusal to issue travel permits.
As the military conflict escalated in Rakhine State, United Nations (UN) agencies and INGOs that had been providing humanitarian aid and post-disaster relief work in the region withdrew.
Based on Narinjara's investigation, apart from the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), all other organizations in Sittwe have evacuated preemptively due to concerns about the fighting closing in on Sittwe..
The Junta also directed high ranking officials in the education and administration sectors, who fled Sittwe due to fear of potential conflict, to return by imposing a deadline of May 25.
