Thousands of local people displaced by fighting between Myanmar’s military regime and the Arakkha Army (AA) in Thandwe Township, Arakan State, are in urgent need of food assistance, according to aid workers.

Internally displaced people (IDPs) in Thandwe Township are struggling to survive due to job scarcity, skyrocketing commodity prices and a lack of humanitarian assistance, said an aid worker.

“Most IDPs face livelihood difficulties. There are few jobs and no support groups, so the IDPs are having a hard time,” the aid worker told DMG.

The IDPs in need are from Ngapali Town and nearby villages, with most having been displaced since fighting began in Thandwe Township in April.

The AA seized control of Thandwe in July, but IDPs are unable to return home due to the regime’s frequent and ongoing airstrikes on the AA-held territory.

“Most locals from villages along Ngapali Beach make a living by fishing. IDPs have had to stop their fishing activities and avoid the fighting, so they have to rely on donations from others,” said an IDP from Ngapali.

There is no real flow of goods and thus a shortage of goods due to junta blockades of both land and water routes into Thandwe Township, as is the case across much of Arakan State. The prices of goods have consequently increased exponentially, adding to the difficulties that IDPs are facing.

Social activists are helping to supply the IDPs with food as best they can, but for a variety of reasons including travel difficulties and limited access to cash, the level of support they are able to provide is not sufficient to meet existing needs.

“In southern Arakan State, the price of goods is twice as high as in northern Arakan, and things are quite scarce. Due to lack of food supplies, everyone including IDPs face hardships,” said a local resident in Thandwe.

Nearly 600,000 people have been displaced by the fighting between the regime and the AA in Arakan State, and many are in need of food, vital medicines, and other supplies.