CNI News

23 April 2024

Ann Township is facing a foodstuff shortage including rice because the Arakan Army (AA) has closed the Ann-Padan Road, according to locals. 

Moreover, the Myanmar Tatmadaw closed the roads going to other townships in Rakhine State because the battles are breaking out within Rakhine State.

After that, the Ann-Padan Road connecting Minbu and Ann Townships had been closed by the AA. 

So, rice was not able to enter Ann Township. Ann locals were depending on rice and foodstuffs coming from other townships and they were not able to store rice in advance. So, Ann Township was facing a rice shortage at present, U Maung Thein, a rice trader from Ann Township told CNI News.

While rice was being sold to residents of Ann on the basis of quota

" Rice doesn't enter Ann from Minbu. Because other roads have been closed, the people from Ann are starving. Before the Ann-Padan Road was closed, a trader could carry 50 bags of rice. There were five or six traders. They sold rice to locals. But now all the roads have been closed, rice is no more. Those who can buy one or two bags of rice have enough rice for one month. Those who can buy one or two bushels have no rice." he said.

Due to shortage of rice, some local are eating dried rice and broken rice that was used as food for pigs.

Other people are eating other crops instead. The prices of rice has been skyrocketing in Ann Township and the price of a bag of coarse rice that was paid 70,000 kyats in the past has been 200,000 kyats now.

While seeing a rice shop in Ann

Although he tried to deliver rice from Minbu to Ann, there was no truck driver, antonymous rice trader told CNI News.
 " Truck drivers don't dare to go because they are afraid of losing their trucks and goods if something bad happens on the way." he said.

At present, in Ann, the price of a bag of coarse rice is 200,000 kyats, the price of edible oil is 30,000 kyats per viss and the price of fuel is about 20,000 per litre reportedly. 

Although there is no battle in Ann, but areas outside the town and there are also explosions of artillery shells according to locals.