The United Nations has issued a stark warning that over two million people in Myanmar’s Rakhine State may face starvation due to an impending economic and food crisis. According to the most recent report from the UNDP titled “Rakhine: A Famine in the Making,” the region is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe driven by severe income losses, rampant inflation, and diminished food production.
The report predicts that if the crisis continues unchecked, it could result in famine conditions by mid-2025. Key drivers of the crisis include a sharp decline in rice production, trade blockades, and restrictions on fisheries.
Kanni Wignaraja, UN assistant secretary general and regional director for the UNDP, described the crisis as an unprecedented economic breakdown. “We’ve not seen this [before]—such a total... economic collapse,” she told The Guardian, highlighting that many families now rely on a single meal a day—some even less. She warned that unless conditions improve, close to two million people could face starvation in 2025.
To prevent the worst-case scenario, the UNDP has called for all restrictions to be lifted, allowing the free flow of goods into Rakhine State, including across the borders with India and Bangladesh, and ensuring unobstructed access for aid workers. UNDP also emphasized the urgent need for emergency funds to expand aid operations.
Meanwhile, in response to the Arakan Army’s control of areas, the military has increased airstrikes, leading to significant civilian casualties.
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