By: Camp Correspondent
Maungdaw, May 12, 2025 —
Rohingya fishermen from several villages along the Naf River in Maungdaw Township are now facing a severe survival crisis after the Arakan Army (AA) imposed a sudden ban on fishing—cutting off the only livelihood many had left during this time of escalating conflict and economic collapse.
Residents from Shwe Zar, Paung Zar, and Hla Baw Zar villages say they have been barred from fishing in the Naf River since last week. The order, reportedly issued by AA forces stationed in the Maungdaw economic zone, has left hundreds of families with no means to earn or feed themselves.
“We have no other job. Fishing is all we know,” said a fisherman from Shwe Zar. “Now even that has been taken from us. Our children are hungry, and we have nothing to give them.”
Fishing has long been the backbone of these riverside communities, especially as Rohingya face increasing restrictions on movement, trade, and access to farmland. With the ban in place, families say they are surviving on plain rice, often without vegetables or fish. Malnutrition and despair are growing.
One resident of Shwe Zar Pyitthar village told Rohingya Khobor:
“Children are crying for fish, but we have nothing. The river is beside us, but it might as well be a desert.”
Locals say they have appealed multiple times to the AA authorities to lift the ban or at least allow limited fishing—but their pleas have gone unanswered.
The community is now making a heartfelt appeal to the AA/ULA leadership to reconsider the decision, saying this is not a political demand, but a basic call for survival.
“We are not asking for special privileges,” said another elder. “We just want to fish—so we can feed our families and live.”
The Naf River, once a lifeline, has now become a symbol of growing desperation. As conflict continues to tighten its grip on Maungdaw, Rohingya families warn that if such restrictions persist, hunger will spread faster than any battle.
