Yangon: Rakhine State in western Myanmar is facing a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis, with aid agencies warning that millions of people are at risk of severe hunger and malnutrition.

Escalating conflict, widespread blockades, and chronic shortages of humanitarian funding have left families in desperate conditions, with children among the most affected.

According to aid groups, more than 100,000 children in Rakhine are suffering from acute malnutrition, yet only a small number are receiving treatment. Across Myanmar, the situation is equally dire, with an estimated 16 million people experiencing food insecurity and more than half a million children projected to face severe malnutrition this year.

Delivery of humanitarian aid remains restricted, with access largely limited to the state capital, Sittwe. Communities in central and northern Rakhine remain cut off, forcing many families to survive on roots and leaves. Parents have reportedly been skipping meals so that children can eat.

The crisis comes amid a wider breakdown in Myanmar’s food system. The United Nations has warned that domestic food production in Rakhine may meet only 20 percent of the population’s needs by early 2025, raising the risk of famine. The World Food Programme has also announced cuts to food aid for over a million people nationwide due to funding shortages, further intensifying the crisis.

Conflict between Myanmar’s military junta and the Arakan Army continues to fuel displacement and instability, worsening access to food and basic supplies. International donors, including the United States and Britain, have pledged additional support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, but humanitarian groups warn that far more resources are urgently needed inside Myanmar.

Bangladesh, which already hosts over a million Rohingya refugees, has also raised concerns about the deepening crisis and the pressure it places on regional stability. Aid organizations are calling for immediate global action to prevent famine and to ensure safe humanitarian access to affected areas.
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