In a chilling revelation, a forthcoming United Nations report warns that over 2 million people in Myanmar’s Rakhine state are at risk of starvation within months. The region, which borders Bangladesh, has been grappling with fierce conflict and trade blockades that have led to a “total economic collapse” and the imminent threat of famine.
Collective Punishment and Economic Devastation
According to exclusive insights from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the military’s actions in Rakhine state amount to imposing “collective punishment” on civilians. More than three years after seizing power in a coup, the junta’s tight grip on the region has had catastrophic consequences.
Kanni Wignaraja, UN assistant secretary general and regional director for the UNDP, described the situation as unprecedented in Myanmar, stating, “We’ve not seen this [before] – such a total … economic collapse.” She warned that if the crisis continues into 2025, which seems highly likely, close to 2 million people could face starvation.
Plummeting Incomes and Food Insecurity
The UNDP’s research paints a grim picture of the economic devastation in Rakhine state. More than half of the households, approximately 1.4 million people, have seen their monthly income plunge from 66,600 kyat ($31.70) to about 46,620 kyat ($22.21) following the escalation in fighting late last year. This meager amount barely covers the cost of rice, let alone other essential expenses like rent, transportation, or healthcare.
Desperate measures are being taken to stave off hunger. Some households have resorted to eating rice bran, typically used as animal feed. Many are cutting rations to a single meal a day, while others are eating even less. Increased borrowing has become common, though even money lenders have little to loan in this dire situation.
Displaced Population in Peril
The situation is particularly desperate for the 511,000 displaced people in Rakhine, including the Rohingya, who rely on aid from humanitarian agencies and the community. Access for aid workers is “severely limited” due to military-imposed bureaucratic hurdles and the intensity of the conflict, according to Wignaraja.
Basic health programs, such as immunization campaigns, have ground to a halt. HIV patients are unable to access life-saving antiretroviral medicines. In July, more than three dozen children were confirmed to have died during a diarrhea outbreak, and the real death toll could be even higher. Even basic medications like paracetamol have become essentially unobtainable due to skyrocketing prices.
Collapsing Agriculture and Soaring Food Prices
The conflict has dealt a severe blow to agriculture in Rakhine state. The UNDP predicts that only 97,000 tons of rice will be produced this year, enough to cover a mere 20% of the population’s needs. This is a sharp decline from the 282,000 tons produced last year, which even then met only 60% of the requirement.
Compounding the food crisis are the soaring prices of essential items. In the worst-hit areas, the cost of rice and cooking oil has skyrocketed nearly ten-fold. Military-imposed trade restrictions have strangled supply routes, with the number of trade routes bringing supplies into Rakhine falling from 8-10 prior to October 2023 to just two currently.
Urgent Call for Action
To avert a catastrophic famine, the UNDP has called for immediate action. All restrictions must be lifted to allow commercial goods to flow in and out of Rakhine, including through Myanmar’s borders with India and Bangladesh. Aid workers must be granted unimpeded access to reach those in desperate need. Urgent funding is required to expand humanitarian operations.
However, Wignaraja emphasized that the crisis in Myanmar has reached a point where day-to-day relief work can only “stave off hunger maybe till the next day.” She stressed the need for a comprehensive, politically mediated settlement, led by regional players and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with UN support.
Desperate Measures and International Neglect
The dire situation has driven many to take desperate measures. The number of Rohingya embarking on perilous boat journeys to reach Indonesia has risen sharply. In October alone, at least 395 Rohingya refugees, including 173 children, arrived in Indonesia by boat, a significant increase from the 49 recorded in the same month last year.
“When people are desperate, they’re going to try everything,” Wignaraja warned. “Once you put your children on a boat, you know you have lost all other hope.”
Despite the severity of the crisis, Myanmar has received scant international attention. Wignaraja described this lack of global focus as “very, very troubling given the intensity of what’s going on.”
As the specter of starvation looms over millions in Rakhine state, the world cannot afford to turn a blind eye. Swift, concerted action is needed to alleviate the suffering, restore stability, and chart a path towards a brighter future for the people of Myanmar. The international community must come together to address this urgent humanitarian crisis before it’s too late.
