Around 600,000 Displaced People in Rakhine Face Severe Livelihood Challenges; Cholera Deaths Reported, Says CAS

NarinjaraNovember 9, 2026

The Center for Arakan Studies (CAS) announced today that the number of people displaced by renewed conflict in Rakhine (Arakan) State has reached an estimated 500,000 to 600,000.

According to the CAS "Special Study on Arakan Affairs" (Report No. 14) released on November 9, these internally displaced persons (IDPs) face severe challenges in securing basic livelihoods and accessing essential services. The report also confirmed multiple deaths resulting from cholera outbreaks.

The report highlights that between January and October 2026, intensified airstrikes, drone attacks, and heavy artillery fire by the Myanmar military targeted several townships, including Mrauk-U, Kyaukphyu, Thandwe, Ngapali, Ponnagyun, and Rathedaung. As a result, thousands of local residents have been forced to flee their homes repeatedly, seeking refuge in nearby forests, hills, and adjacent villages.

The civilian toll has been heavy. In early October, airstrikes targeting the Byala displacement camp and Aung Phyu Pyin village in Ponnagyun Township caused numerous civilian casualties and completely destroyed a clinic providing free medical care to IDPs.

The humanitarian crisis is further compounded by a total halt in the flow of goods. Ongoing conflict and blocked transportation routes have triggered a drastic surge in commodity prices.

Concurrently, international food aid has been cut off, leaving displaced populations struggling to meet their basic daily needs. With most IDPs stripped of income, the number of individuals forced to beg or sell household belongings has nearly doubled.

In Kyaukphyu Township, a critical shortage of grazing land has also compelled displaced farmers to sell their draft cattle at heavily reduced prices.

Health conditions in the camps are rapidly deteriorating due to poor sanitation and a lack of clean drinking water. Outbreaks of skin diseases and diarrheal illnesses have surged among children in Kyaukphyu and Ponnagyun.

In Sittwe Township alone, 11 children have died from severe diarrheal disease. Rainy season flooding submerged and destroyed latrines, forcing multiple households to share single toilets. This has raised acute safety and health concerns, particularly for women and girls facing a lack of secure, private sanitation facilities and menstrual hygiene supplies.

The crisis is also robbing the next generation of their future. Many children are now deprived of education due to lost family income, the high cost of school supplies, and the constant fear of airstrikes. Meanwhile, a critical scarcity of medicines, healthcare personnel, and emergency medical supplies continues to pose life-threatening risks to the sick.

In its conclusion, CAS urgently appealed to the international community, emphasizing that humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach Rakhine's displaced populations quickly and without obstruction to mitigate the unfolding multifaceted crises.