Report Fears of starvation in Myanmar as UN warns of 'disaster'

[CharlieH]

 

Aid agencies are urgently sounding the alarm over a looming starvation crisis in Myanmar's conflict-stricken Rakhine State.

 

The World Food Programme (WFP) has made an impassioned plea for increased donations to prevent a "full-blown disaster."

Since the 2021 military coup, the civil war in Myanmar has crushed the economy and created vast humanitarian needs. The situation in Rakhine is particularly dire due to a military blockade that has isolated the region from the rest of the country, significantly worsening the crisis.

 

The WFP is striving to aid the growing number of displaced individuals, including 140,000 Rohingya Muslims confined to camps since fleeing communal violence in 2012. The agency's efforts are hampered by a dramatic 60% drop in global funding this year, which has severely impacted its operations.

 

Heartbreaking stories highlight the escalating desperation. In one tragic incident, a 50-year-old father in the Ohn Taw Kyi camp resorted to using insecticide on his family's food due to starvation. He died, but quick intervention by neighbours saved his wife and children. This camp, the largest for displaced Rohingya, lies near Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine.

 

Similarly, in June, an entire family in Sittwe reportedly died the same way. Just last week, an elderly couple displaced by recent conflicts took their own lives, overwhelmed by their inability to secure food and funds.

 

The humanitarian situation in Rakhine has been precarious for years. In addition to the 2012 communal violence, the region witnessed the 2017 mass expulsion of Rohingyas. Now, the 2023 military blockade attempts to cut off supplies to the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that controls much of the state.

 

As Sittwe remains besieged, accessible only by sea and air, blocked trade routes have led farmers to abandon their rice harvests, unable to trade or sustain themselves. Rohingya communities face additional struggles, banned from fishing, which has historically been a critical source of food and income.

 

Despite available funds, international aid organisations face significant barriers in reaching areas under the control of the Arakan Army. A camp resident reported a staggering fivefold increase in prices, with scarce job opportunities forcing many to subsist on boiled taro roots.

 

Michael Dunford, the WFP Representative in Myanmar, described the harsh cycle: "People are trapped in conflict, stripped of livelihoods, and left without a safety net." Reports of children crying from hunger and mothers skipping meals underline the gravity of the situation.

 

Adding to the burden, military conscription demands have compelled thousands of Rohingya men to defend Sittwe. Families unable to provide conscripts are financially obligated to support those enlisted, often using their WFP allowances, leading to increased debts.

 

The WFP warns of "alarming signs" of extreme economic distress, seen in rising debt, begging, domestic violence, school dropouts, and human trafficking. While funding shortfalls are partly attributed to various donor countries, a significant factor is the Trump administration's 87% cut to USAID funding.

 

Last year, the US contributed nearly $4.5 billion to the WFP, representing nearly half of the agency's global government donations. This dramatic reduction severely constrains the WFP's capacity to respond effectively to the emergency.

Last November, the UN issued a warning of a "famine in the making" in Rakhine. The persisting shortage of essential funding, along with the WFP's ongoing appeals nine months later, starkly reflects the challenging environment confronting international aid efforts today.

 

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from the BBC 2025-08-15