Thinzar Nwe, Narinjara News, 24 October 2024

Due to ongoing warfare that has hamperedtransit lines, residents of Ann Town, which is situated in the foothills of theArakan Mountains, are facing a serious scarcity of rice.

A pyi of rice used to cost between 3,000 and3,500 kyats, but now days it costs about 7,000 kyats. Residents are havingtrouble finding rice in spite of these growing prices.

Those who have stayed in Ann Town and theinternally displaced people who were rounded up by junta soldiers fromneighboring communities are the most severely affected.

Shops in Ann have been demanding exorbitantrates for their goods ever since the route was closed. Even the rice stores arecurrently out of rice. A female Ann Town resident stated, "We had to sharewhat little rice we had with people who went without yesterday."

The battle has made it impossible to bring riceinto Ann Town from other places, and the junta forces are preventing localsfrom leaving the town. They might therefore be in danger of starvation in thedays ahead.

In the midst of fierce combat in Ann Township,the Arakan Army (AA) closed the Ann-Padan-Minbu road on October 16. Residentssaid that the high cost of basic supplies, such as rice, has resulted in acuteshortages.

“Since we intended to travel to Minbu, we didnot purchase a lot of rice. This kind of road closure surprised me. In thefollowing three to four days, the rice we purchased will be consumed. Famine iscoming," she continued.

Because of the continuous warfare, two-thirdsof Ann Town's population has already left.

According to locals, tens of thousands ofpeople are currently stranded in the town and are having severe difficultiesmaking a living. This includes those who stayed, those who were already in thetown but were moved by junta troops, and internally displaced persons fromneighboring communities who arrived as a result of the junta's evictions.

In Ann Town, which is still under junta rule, aman who lives there told Narinjara News that the junta has not helped locals ordisplaced people and has forbidden them from constructing bomb shelters.

“We heard airstrikes close to the airporttoday. They have constructed many trenches inside and outside the militarybase, but they would not allow us to dig bomb shelters," he claimed.

The Arakan Army (AA) is currently attacking the junta'smilitary battalions, notably the Ann-based Western Command, one after the other.

The Arakan Army (AA) has taken control of the374th artillery battalion, the medical corps, the central ordnance depot (COD),and the military intelligence unit (SaYaPha) in Ann Town, according to localmilitary sources. The remaining battalions, including the Western Command, arebeing aggressively attacked. (Photo: courtesy)