Myanmar’s war-torn Rakhine state is on the brink of famine, with more than 2 million people at risk of starvation, according to a United Nations report.
Rice production in the western state, which borders Bangladesh, has sharply declined due to shortages of seeds and fertilizers, severe weather, and the displacement of farmers who can no longer work the land, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
Humanitarian efforts have been hindered by strict restrictions imposed by Myanmar’s military government, leaving aid agencies, including the Red Cross, struggling to assess needs and deliver assistance.
“Rakhine stands on the precipice of an unprecedented disaster,” the UNDP said in a report late Thursday.
“Combined with the near-total halt of trade, more than 2 million people are at risk of starvation.”
The number of internally displaced people in Rakhine has risen by more than 60% from October 2023 to August this year, with more than 500,000 now relying entirely on aid, the UNDP said.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, sparking mass protests that escalated into an armed rebellion on multiple fronts.
With more than 3 million people displaced and much of the country in chaos, humanitarian aid has become critical in Myanmar.
A spokesperson for the junta did not respond to calls seeking comment on the report.
Violence has increased since conflict reignited in Rakhine last November, following the collapse of a cease-fire between the Arakan Army (AA) and the military. Rebel forces have since made substantial gains.
Though the military has long been accused of persecuting the Muslim Rohingya minority in Rakhine, the Arakan Army has also been accused of targeting them, which it has denied. An AA spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The fighting has triggered a new wave of Rohingya refugees fleeing into Bangladesh, where more than 1 million Rohingya live in large refugee camps.
“Without urgent action, 95% of the population will regress into survival mode,” the UNDP report said.
