Myanmar's war-torn Rakhine faces famine with 2 million people

8/11/2024 16:47

        Myanmar's war-ravaged Rakhine state could face imminent famine according to a United Nations report, which estimates that more than two million people could be at the risk of starvation.
        
        Rice production in Rakhine, a western state that borders Bangladesh, has declined due to shortages of seeds and fertilizers, severe weather and the displacement of people who can no longer farm, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
        
        Aid agencies including the Red Cross have faced severe difficulties in assessing humanitarian needs and delivering aid due to restrictions from Myanmar's military government.
        
        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.