Two elderly Rohingya women, Daw Sawyadnisa, 60, and Daw Da Hai Ma, 55, have tragically died from malnutrition in Taung Paw Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, Myebon Township, Rakhine State. According to the Camp Management Committee, food shortages within the camp led to their deaths, with Sawyadnisa passing at 1 a.m. on September 23, and Da Hai Ma succumbing the previous morning on September 22.
“We knew they were starving, but we were powerless. These women were old, sick, and weak, and no organization was there to help them,” shared one camp resident, his voice heavy with sorrow. “We don’t want this tragedy to happen again.”
Taung Paw IDP camp shelters over 3,000 Rohingya, who have faced hardship since being displaced by the 2012 ethnic conflict in Rakhine State. While aid was initially provided by international organizations, it has become increasingly irregular. Residents of the camp, once reliant on food assistance, have been forced to find whatever work they can, from fishing to day labor in nearby markets and Rakhine villages. Even with these efforts, many are struggling to survive.
“The people here are suffering. We don’t have enough food, and everyone is trying to cope, but it’s not enough,” said the man in charge of the camp. “We just buried these women according to the rituals, and it was heartbreaking.”
The situation in the camp, where 642 households are currently struggling with food insecurity, highlights a broader crisis facing IDP camps across Rakhine State. The international community’s waning attention and support have left vulnerable populations at increasing risk, especially the elderly and sick, who cannot fend for themselves.
In the face of these tragic deaths, there is an urgent call for humanitarian aid to resume and for consistent support to be given to camps like Taung Paw. Without it, more lives could be lost to hunger and neglect.
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