"Rakhine state in western Myanmar plays a key role in determining the outcome of the civil war that has been raging in the Southeast Asian nation since its military seized power in a coup in February 2021. That's because the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group originating in Rakhine, has posed one of the biggest military challenges for the ruling junta. The AA has managed to seize control of almost the entire state and is also active in other parts of Myanmar."
"However, its advance has slowed down recently. Meanwhile, the region is also experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe, which is receiving little global attention. Reports on Rakhine are as sketchy as those on the ongoing civil war in Sudan. "Rakhine stands on the precipice of an unprecedented disaster," the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) already warned last year. The situation in Rakhine has also had a significant impact on the fate of the Rohingya, a mainly Muslim ethnic minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar."
"According to the World Health Organization, around 650,000 Rohingya have fled from Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh due to ethnic cleansing by the Myanmar military, particularly in the years 2016 and 2017. Human Rights Watch (HRW) says there are still some 630,000 Rohingya people living in Rakhine, most of them in northern border areas or in camps around the capital Sittwe. Border blockades in a multi-front war The situation in Rakhine is precarious for not just Rohingya but all residents."
Rakhine state in western Myanmar is central to the civil war that followed the February 2021 military coup. The Arakan Army (AA) has become a major military challenge to the junta, seizing almost the entire state and operating elsewhere in Myanmar, though its advance has recently slowed. A severe humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding with little global attention. The UNDP warned that Rakhine stands on the precipice of unprecedented disaster. Around 650,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh during ethnic cleansing in 2016–2017, and about 630,000 Rohingya still live in Rakhine, many in northern border areas or camps. Longstanding poverty, poor infrastructure, and renewed fighting since 2023 have made the situation precarious for all residents.
Read at www.dw.com
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