By: Hafizur Rahman, Camp Correspondent
May 01, 2025
The food crisis in Rohingya Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across Sittwe Township has reached a breaking point, with growing reports of suicide attempts, psychological trauma, and extreme hunger. As humanitarian aid remains stalled, camp residents warn that starvation is rapidly turning from fear to reality.
Father Dies After Suicide Attempt in Oh Taw Gyi North
On April 20, in Oh Taw Gyi North (OTG-N) camp, a family of four attempted to take their own lives after going days without food, surviving only on boiled taro roots. With no aid reaching them and hunger becoming unbearable, the 50-year-old father consumed poison first, followed by his wife and two children, aged 15 and 10.
“The father couldn’t bear seeing his children hungry anymore,” said a neighbor. “He gave up first.”
Community members rushed to intervene. The wife and children survived after receiving treatment, but the father tragically died—likely because he ingested the poison before the others.
70-Year-Old Attempts Suicide from Hunger
Just a week later, on April 27, a 70-year-old man from the same camp lay down on the road, declaring he would rather die than continue starving. Neighbors managed to remove him and prevent another tragedy—but the act itself reflects a deeper collapse of mental and physical endurance.
Camp Leaders Sound the Alarm
On April 29, community leaders from Thae Choung (TC), That Kay Pyin (TKP), and Baw Du Pha (BDP) camps visited the UNHCR field office in Sittwe to plead for urgent action. They reported that:
- Children are begging for food in the streets
- Camp residents are sinking into psychological distress
- Starvation is beginning to take root across the camps
Observers estimate that over 110,000 displaced Rohingya across 16 camps in Sittwe are now impacted. Food rations for March were never delivered, leaving already vulnerable populations without support.
“We have nothing left. Not even hope,” said one camp leader. “If no help comes this week, we will see more deaths.”
A Preventable Tragedy Unfolding
Field protection partners have confirmed rising reports of suicidal behavior, trauma, and dangerous coping mechanisms, especially among the elderly and families with children.
Camp leaders are awaiting urgent coordination and response from humanitarian actors. They warn that without immediate aid—food, mental health services, and protection support—Sittwe’s Rohingya may face an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.
This worsening crisis is a painful reminder that neglect and delay kill just as surely as bullets or bombs.
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