Fighting that has suspended ferries between Paletwa in southern Chin State and Kyauktaw in Rakhine State have caused food costs to rise.

Clashes between the Arakan Army (AA) and Burma Army have stopped all riverboat shipments of rice, cooking oil, salt and other domestic products to Paletwa for over a week.

“We dare not travel these days. Clashes are breaking out in the lower part (of the river). The situation is really bad!” said a ferry operator from Paletwa that didn’t want their name used.

Rice has gone up from 20,000 kyat (about US$14) to 30,000 kyat (about US$21).

Fighting between the Burma Army and Arakan Army (AA) is happening near the villages Tin Ma and Mee Chaung.

Locals living in the surrounding areas reported hearing heavy gunfire.

An anonymous government worker told Khonumthung News they heard rice reserved for internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps will be sold by township authorities.

Locals worry if fighting in the area doesn’t stop the prices of goods will keep increasing.

The government imposed a curfew in Paletwa township.

Internet services in Rathaytaung, Buthitaung, Maungdaw, Myaebon townships in Rakhine State and Paletwa township in southern Chin State have been suspended by the communication ministry since February 3.

Fighting in southern Chin State and Rakhine State in recent years has displaced over forty-thousand civilians, according to figures obtained from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

AA have kidnapped many civilians and even a member of the NLD and local MP.

The Burma Army has arrested many civilians under suspicion of being part of the AA, and several have died while in their custody.