Sittwe – IDPs are facing difficulties in refugee camps in Rakhine State, said locals.

More IDPs are fled from the fighting and now the number of IDPs is reached over 80,000. They are staying at nearby villages and towns and they are struggling to find food and a place to live.

Nafinjar, a Rakhine based news media group and DMG is joining hand with BNI Multimedia Group to hold a talk about the situation in Rakhine with locals at Sittwe Hotel on November 27 and the IDPs said about their difficulties.

Soe Naing, who is helping the IDPs at Tainnyo IDP camp in Mrauk-U Township said, “Now our camp has about 3,200 IDPs and ICRC is providing aid but it is not enough. They cannot live alone on rice and they need other things such as drinking water. Drinking water will be scarce in summer. The ripe paddy fields cannot be reaped in time.”

Moreover the IPDs from Kyauktaw, Ponnakyun, Buthidaung and Yathedaung townships also need assistance, according to locals.

Kyaw Than from Buthidaung said, “There are 23 IDPs camps in the township and more than 1,800 IDPs are living in those camps. Some IDPs stayed under their own arrangement. Some stayed in groups. Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement and the ICRC are helping them but it is not enough for them. They don’t have enough rice and they need aid. They should need help and the government should allow people who provide relief aid.”

Thar Zan from Yathedaung Township said there are about 9,200 IDPs in the township and some IDPs arrived in the town have well enough for their living. The IPDs lived in the villages don’t have relief aid. The social welfare groups cannot distribute relief aid as they have no permission. If the authorities from township level have authority to allow, it will be convenient for them to distribute relief aid in villages.