Over 5,000 Displaced People in Kyaukphyu Face Urgent Food Shortage

Maung Sar Ga

Narinjara, September 12, 2026

More than 5,000 war-displaced civilians in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan State, are in critical need of emergency food supplies as intensified, relentless fighting rages between the Arakan Army (AA) and Myanmar military junta forces.

The escalations have forced thousands of rural residents to abandon their homes and seek safety.

On September 11, the Kyaukphyu-based Zin Chaung Youth Philanthropic Association announced that emergency food assistance is urgently required for 5,100 displaced individuals.

The group calculated the requirements based on a standard daily ration of two condensed-milk cans of rice per person, which amounts to 60 cans (or two baskets) per person each month. For the total population of 5,100 people, 10,200 baskets of rice are required monthly. At the current market price of 16,000 Kyats per basket, the total monthly cost amounts to 163,200,000 Kyats.

Expressing deep concern over the looming threat of starvation, Ko Khin Kyaw Nyunt, a local Arakanese resident, told Narinjara, "We Arakanese people feel a deep sense of dignity and shame when it comes to begging or soliciting donations. However, in times of such extreme hardship, we must set aside our pride to save lives. As a citizen, I earnestly appeal to overseas philanthropic organizations to provide aid for the thousands of displaced people in the Kyaukphyu area."

The Zin Chaung Youth Philanthropic Association further highlighted that the crisis extends beyond this immediate group. Food supplies are urgently required for approximately 30,000 displaced people across eight camps in Kyaukphyu Township, alongside tens of thousands of others who have sought refuge after fleeing neighboring Ramree Township.

Across both townships, the total number of displaced individuals facing severe food insecurity exceeds 50,000.

A social aid group assisting displaced populations in Arakan confirmed to Narinjara that they are currently coordinating logistics to deliver emergency food relief to the most critically affected 5,100 individuals.