Ramree Township in Arakan State is home to more than 10,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Ann, Taungup and Kyaukphyu townships, where clashes between Myanmar's military regime and the Arakkha Army (AA) are escalating, and the displaced civilians are in need of emergency assistance, according to aid workers.
"Local and international relief groups have difficulty providing assistance to IDPs in Ramree. Mobile phone and internet access have been cut off in Ramree. IDPs are in urgent need of rice and medicine. We provide IDPs with relief items as much as we can, but there are many requirements for them," said an official from the Rammarmyay IDP Assistance Group.
IDPs face many difficulties due to limited assistance, lack of jobs, and skyrocketing prices.
There are few local social assistance organisations in Ramree and the large number of IDPs makes it difficult to provide food security.
"Fleeing fighting is not something that can be predicted and avoided in advance like floods, so many people have to flee with only the clothes on their backs. Those who have money can find a job in a war-torn area. Those who don't have money can only survive if they have someone to provide for them," said an IDP woman.
Since the start of renewed military-AA fighting in November of last year, the regime has imposed land and water blockades to Arakan State, with locals facing shortages of medicines and basic goods, as well as skyrocketing prices across the board.
"Locals and IDPs face difficulties in receiving medical treatment due to lack of hospitals and medicine shortages in Ramree. We can't buy medicine even if we have money," said another official from the Rammarmyay IDP Assistance Group.
IDPs also need warm clothes and blankets as temperatures drop this time of year.
The AA has seized control of Ramree, but restricts local people's movements in the island township due to the threat of junta airstrikes.
As many as 680,000 people in Arakan State have been displaced by fighting from the February 2021 coup through the end of October, and many of those IDPs are in need of food and medicine.
