A severe hunger crisis is unfolding in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where ongoing conflict and major cuts to humanitarian aid are pushing the civilian population toward catastrophe.
Aid agencies report that over 100,000 children in the region are suffering from acute malnutrition, yet less than 2% are receiving treatment. Intense fighting between the military junta and the Arakan Army has made supply routes extremely dangerous or completely impassable. The military has also been accused of actively blocking food and medical assistance from reaching the most affected areas.
With markets running out of supplies, food prices have skyrocketed. Many families have been forced to forage for leaves and roots or skip meals entirely.
The crisis in Rakhine is part of a larger emergency across Myanmar. The United Nations estimates that 16 million people in the country are now acutely food insecure, with over half a million children expected to suffer from severe malnutrition this year.
