Up to two million people in Myanmars Rakhine state face the dire prospect of famine, amid a broader economic collapse and worsening humanitarian crisis triggered by the militarys 2021 overthrow of the democratically elected government, the United Nations warned.A new report released by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) described the situation in the poverty-struck province as an ‘unprecedented disaster’.’A perfect storm is brewing,’ it said, citing a combination of interlinked issues – restrictions on domestic and international flow of goods, hyperinflation, loss of livelihoods, dwindling agricultural production and lack of essential services.Without urgent action, nearly the entire population (about 95%) ‘will regress into survival mode,’ UNDP warned.’They will be left to fend for themselves amid a drastic reduction in domestic production, skyrocketing prices, widespread unemployment and heightened insecurity,’ it added.Rakhine is home to the mostly-Muslim Rohingya community who fled a brutal military crackdown in 2017. Today, nearly one million Rohingya refugees remain in neighboring Bangladesh.
