A United Nations report warns that Myanmar's Rakhine state, heavily affected by war, could soon face a famine, putting over two million people at risk of starvation. According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), rice production in Rakhine, which borders Bangladesh, has dropped significantly. This decline is due to a lack of seeds and fertilizers, extreme weather, and the displacement of farmers who can no longer work their land.

Myanmar's military government has imposed restrictions, making it extremely difficult for aid organizations, such as the Red Cross, to determine humanitarian needs and provide aid. "Rakhine stands on the precipice of an unprecedented disaster," the United Nations Development Program stated in a report released late Thursday.

"Combined with the near-total halt of trade, over two million people are at risk of starvation." According to the UNDP, the number of internally displaced people in Rakhine has increased by over 60% between October 2023 and August of this year, and over 500,000 of them are currently solely dependent on aid. The United Nations has warned that Myanmar’s Rakhine state is on the verge of famine, putting over two million people at risk of severe hunger. Rice production in the area has dropped due to shortages of seeds and fertilizers, bad weather, and mass displacement of farmers. 

The region’s humanitarian needs have intensified as more than 3 million people across Myanmar are displaced due to ongoing conflict, with restrictions from the military government hindering the delivery of aid. Since the military takeover in 2021, Myanmar has been in crisis, with widespread unrest and a rising armed rebellion. The number of displaced people in Rakhine alone has increased by over 60% in recent months, and more than 500,000 are now fully dependent on aid. The situation has worsened with trade nearly halted, increasing the risk of starvation for millions in Rakhine.

Conflict resurfaced in Rakhine last November after a ceasefire between the military and the Arakan Army (AA) broke down, and since then, violence has been on the rise. Rebel forces have made tremendous strides since then. The Arakan Army has been accused of targeting the Muslim minority Rohingya community in Rakhine, a claim it has denied, but the military has been accused of persecuting them for years. A request for comment from an AA representative was not immediately answered.

A fresh wave of Rohingya refugees has fled into Bangladesh as a result of the fighting, where over a million of them reside in sizable camps. "Without urgent action, 95% of the population will regress into survival mode," said the UNDP report.