Photo: greenway Myanmar app
Mizzima
Since the junta blocked road and river transport routes into Rakhine State there have been shortages and massive increases in the price of basic foodstuffs in the state.
Conversely, there has been a big drop in the price of seafood in the state because it cannot be sent out of the state to Yangon and other places in the country.
A resident of Ann township in Rakhine State said: “The prices of fish and shrimp [normally] sent to Yangon and other cities have seen a significant decline. On the other hand, essential items such as onions, garlic, and other products originating from the mainland have seen sharp price increases, leading to them being out of stock and unavailable for purchase.”
Residents of the Rakhine State townships of Ann, Sittwe, Kyaukphyu, and Maungdaw have reported steep price increases for food products that come from outside the state since the junta started blocking transport routes into the state on 13 November.
The price of onions and garlic has surged from 4,000 – 5,000 Kyat before 13 November to 30,000 – 50,000 Kyat per viss (1.63kg) now. Similarly, the cost of green chili has risen from 5,000 Kyat to 60,000 Kyat per viss. Other notable increases include the price of oil, which has gone up from 7,000 Kyat to 20,000 Kyat per viss, and the price of an egg, which has increased from 250 Kyat to 1,000 Kyat.
Even though there is an adequate supply of rice in Rakhine State from the local harvest the price of a bag of rice has risen from 70,000 Kyat to 240,000 Kyat due to increased demand.
Maungdaw, which is on the border with Bangladesh, normally imports food from Bangladesh, but now there are shortages of those and other foods in Maungdaw.
A Maungdaw resident said: “While rice and oil are still available, there prices have significantly increased. However, other food products like onions, green chilies, and eggs have become scarce, with residents unable to purchase them in Maungdaw. I guess people could face severe food shortages in the coming one or two months.”
But, because seafood cannot leave the state it has more than halved in price in Rakhine State.
Tiger prawns have dropped from 50,000 Kyat to 20,000 Kyats a viss and Shwe Prawns have dropped from 70,000 Kyat to 30,000 Kyat a viss in local markets.
The junta blockade of Rakhine State combined with fresh fighting in the state has also led to shortages of medical supplies in the state, according to an Ann resident, increasing the pressure on the local population.
Since 13 November, when the Arakan Army (AA) started its offensive there has been fighting in the Rakhine State townships of Pauktaw, Mrauk-U, and Ann and in Sami Town and Paletwa Township in Chin State.
The AA claims that it has taken control of 142 junta camps, but Mizzima is unable to independently verify this figure.
