Sittwe Faces Rising Hunger, Family Suicides Amid Blockade

Photo: BBC

Arakan Now | 15 August 2025

Severe food shortages in Sittwe, Rakhine State, are driving families to suicide, according to reports by The Irrawaddy and the BBC. Aid agencies warn the situation is worsening rapidly, with the UN World Food Programme (WFP) appealing for urgent donations to prevent a full-blown disaster.

Since renewed fighting in November 2023, the Myanmar military has imposed a blockade on Sittwe, cutting off road and river access and confining residents—including more than 140,000 Rohingya Muslims who have been trapped in displacement camps since 2012. International aid has been blocked for around six months.

From May to August, at least 14 people—including entire families—reportedly took their own lives due to hunger and desperation. Prices of rice and basic goods have skyrocketed, while work opportunities are nearly non-existent. Many Rohingya families survive only through remittances or occasional private donations.

The BBC reported that on 20 April, a 50-year-old father in Sittwe’s Ohn Taw Kyi camp—the largest camp for displaced Rohingya—poisoned food meant for himself, his wife, and two children. He died, but neighbours managed to save the others. Last week, an elderly couple displaced by recent fighting reportedly hanged themselves in despair over their lack of food and money.

The WFP warns that over half of households in Rakhine can no longer meet their basic food needs. Locals say more people are dying from starvation than from the ongoing conflict.