Around 2 million people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state are at risk of starvation due to a combination of intense conflict, military-imposed trade blockades, and a rapidly collapsing economy, a senior UN official warned.
According to international human rights reports, the conflict, which reignited in late 2023 between the military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic Rakhine group, has led to widespread food shortages, hyperinflation, and severe poverty.
UNDP research reveals that incomes in Rakhine have plummeted, with many families cutting down to just one meal a day. More than half of the state’s households are struggling with a significant reduction in monthly income, making it nearly impossible to afford basic food. The price of essential items like rice and cooking oil has soared, with rice production expected to meet only 20% of the state’s needs this year.
The situation is particularly dire for the 511,000 displaced people, including Rohingya refugees, who rely heavily on aid, but access is severely restricted by military regulations and ongoing conflict. Humanitarian operations are struggling to meet the urgent needs for food, medicine, and other essential services.
With only two trade routes left open, down from 8-10 prior to October 2023, the flow of goods into Rakhine has ground to a halt, with the UN calling for all trade and humanitarian restrictions to be lifted and for unimpeded access for aid workers to avert the worst-case scenario.
Experts warn that this crisis is not just a famine, but a political disaster, requiring international intervention and a politically mediated settlement to address the root causes of the conflict.
