Food Crisis Pushes Rohingya IDPs in Akyab

Akyab Township, Arakan State | May 2, 2025 — The humanitarian crisis in Rohingya Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across Sittwe Township has entered a dire phase, with disturbing reports of suicide attempts, psychological trauma, and severe hunger emerging from the ground.

As international aid remains stalled and local authorities fail to respond, residents of the camps—already displaced from their homes due to conflict—now face the terrifying prospect of starvation. Community members describe conditions as “unlivable,” with families surviving on minimal or spoiled food, and children going days without a proper meal.

In recent weeks, several suicide attempts have been reported, believed to be triggered by the unbearable stress of hunger, hopelessness, and untreated mental health issues. Residents say many in the camps are suffering from depression and are exhibiting signs of psychological collapse.

“We are dying slowly. Not from bullets or bombs, but from hunger,” said one camp resident, whose children have not eaten a full meal in days. “There is no food, no medicine, and no future here.”

Humanitarian organizations have warned for months that access to the camps must be restored immediately. However, aid convoys remain blocked or delayed due to political and security constraints. As a result, malnutrition is rising, and desperation is deepening.

“The fear of hunger has now become the reality,” said one Rohingya community leader. “We are witnessing a silent genocide.”

Rights advocates and international observers are urging immediate action from the United Nations, ASEAN, and humanitarian agencies to avert further loss of life and irreversible damage to an already traumatized population.

Rohingya Vision News