Residents of Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine (Arakan) State say that they were facing starvation as food security is in a dire state.
In Sittwe, with basic goods including food running out, the prices going through roofs, the grassroots level people without work find themselves in a desperate situation, having to sell off their belongings to put food on the table. A Magyi Myaint Ward resident who wished to remain anonymous told the AB News.
“We are manual laborers and have been out of work for a long time. We don’t have a penny left. So, yesterday, I had to sell household items to buy rice because I didn’t have food. With no income and the prices skyrocketing, we are facing starvation.” She said.
A man from Kone Dan Ward said that prices for foodstuff including rice are rising exponentially in Sittwe. He said “The prices are going quite high. A sack of regular rice costs more than 200,000 Kyats, Pawsan Mwe Rice over 300,000 Kyats, a viss of chicken 40,000, and an egg over 1000 Kyats.
Although cargo ships from Yangon arrive at Sittwe with goods, they are only for the families of the military council. It was learnt.
A fresh round of fighting began in Arakan on November 13th with the Arakan Army capturing the military council’s border guard station, Doon Pite, situated on Maungdaw-Angu Maw Road, and the military council (SAC) blockading all transportation routes into and out of Arakan as well as within the state.
Some of Sittwe’s rich and well-to-do people have resorted to flying out of Sittwe, mainly to Yangon while others took refuge in AA-controlled areas.
General Twan Mrat Naing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Arakan Army, has recommended that the people trapped in Sittwe and Kyauk Phyu, still under the control of the military council (SAC) should come and live in the liberated areas.
However, those in Sittwe who cannot afford to leave are trapped there and potentially be used as human shields by the fascist regime, SAC.
It has been learned that only 20% of Rakhine residents of Sittwe remain in town and other communities – Bengali and Kaman (both Muslims), and Hindus – are still trapped there.
On the evening of April 20th, the military council troops opened fire with artillery on those fleeing the war, and as they were fleeing, they stepped on land mines, at least 5 refugees were killed, many were injured, and around 100 were arrested by the military council team. Those who survived confirmed to AB News.
On the 29th of February this year at 8.15 a.m., as the direct result of artillery shelling by SAC on the central market of Sittwe, no less than 10 civilians were killed and at least 10 injured, and to add insult to injury, the fascist regime arrested and detained about 50 civilians.