Over 60,000 civilians face acute food shortage in Paletwa

Sai Wanna 16 Oct 2020

Internally displaced people in Paletwa township. Photo: WFP

Over 60,000 civilians face acute food shortage in Paletwa

More than 60,000 civilians are facing acute food shortage in Paletwa township in Chin State, as renewed fighting between government security forces and the Arakan Army escalated during the past weeks, a local civic group said.

Mi Nan Wai, spokesperson of the Khumi Affairs Coordination Council (KACC), said 62,454 people from 246 villages in Paletwa are in dire need of rice and food as supplies cannot come in due to high tension in the area.

 

“There are still shootings in our region that is why we requested Tatmadaw to provide security for the transport of sacks of rice,” she said, but noted the Tatmadaw were also busy in its operations against the AA, which the government declared a terrorist organization on March 23.

Authorities were able to deliver 1700 sacks of rice in Paletwa on October 13 but the supply is not enough and the residents need more food. The KACC that they would need about 20,000 sacks of rice to provide the basic stable food for the tens of thousands residents trapped in their villages.

“Sometimes, we have nothing to cook rice but everyone grows plantain. We eat bananas,” said U Shwe Kyaw , a resident from Mee Khwe village which is about 8 miles from Paletwa. He was able to visit the KACC office to inform them about the plight of fellow villagers.

U Soe Htet , Minister of Chin State Development Affairs, said the government is planning in order 12,000 sacks of rice to Paletwa, in order to fill the shortage but noted that the supply might only arrive at the end of the month.

Paletwa is in the southern part of the Chin State and bordering Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Minbya townships in Rakhine State, which are considered strongholds of the AA. Paletwa has a population of 106,968 people, comprised of more than 88,500 Chin ethnic people and more than 18,000 Rakhine ethnic people, according to the General Administrative Department.

The AA is a predominantly Buddhist ethnic Rakhine armed group, fighting more autonomy from the central government.

The recent round of clashes between the AA and government forces erupted in November 2018 when the ethnic armed group tried to establish a base in Mrauk-U.