• Crisis Severity ?
    3.8
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Impact ?
    3.4
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Humanitarian Conditions ?
    3.9
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Complexity ?
    4.0
    0 Very low
    Very high 5
  • Access Constraints ?
    4.0
    No constraints
    Extreme constraints
See all indicators

Key figures

  • 55,744,000 Total population [?]
  • 3,472,000 People affected [?]
  • 1,306,000 People displaced [?]
  • 1,672,000 People in Need [?]

Overview

30/12/2022

Rakhine is one of the poorest and least developed states in the country. It is home to the Rohingya, a primarily Muslim and persecuted minority in Myanmar facing repression and discrimination. They are considered illegal immigrants from Bangladesh, which renders them stateless.?

Since 1978, Rakhine has seen numerous incidents of state violence against its Rohingya population. An extreme episode of violence beginning in August 2017 triggered the displacement of more than 700,000 Rohingya from Rakhine to Bangladesh; currently, over 920,000 Rohingya are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. There are 600,000 Rohingya currently in Rakhine; 470,000 are not considered displaced but are stateless, and over 130,000 are confined to camps or camp-like settings in central Rakhine. They continue to face extreme restrictions on their freedom of movement, segregation, marginalisation, extortion, and trafficking. They also face limited access to healthcare, education, and livelihood opportunities.?

The Arakan Army (AA) – a Rakhine ethnic armed group – has led an insurgency in the state that escalated between January 2019 and November 2020 and resulted in hundreds of casualties and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, including schools. In the past few years, the AA has made significant strides in controlling the state, especially in the northern and central parts. After an informal ceasefire between the AA and the Myanmar military that lasted around two years, tensions significantly escalated in 2022, leading to a wider conflict which ceased due to another temporary truce. The AA claims to seek self-determination for the multiethnic people of Rakhine state.?

Latest Developments

24/05/2023

On 14 May 2023, Cyclone Mocha slammed into Myanmar, inflicting considerable damage in Rakhine state and northwest Myanmar, including Chin, Magway, and Sagaing. 1.6 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Nearly 130,000 Rohingya refugees reside in overcrowded IDP camps in Rakhine, where widespread damage has been reported. The cyclone caused flooding that affected 52,000 and 50,000 people in villages in Sagaing and Magway, respectively. Infrastructure including houses, schools, hospitals, and WASH facilities have been damaged or destroyed. There is a heightened risk of waterborne diseases resulting from flooding and damage to WASH facilities. Flooding and landslides could have also moved landmines and other explosive ordnance. The affected people urgently need food, water, healthcare, and core relief items, such as clothing, blankets, hygiene kits, and jerrycans. Needs assessments are underway with communication partially restored. Access is being negotiated to enable a response.?