An interview with Ma Thandar, a displaced woman from Sittwe who is currently taking shelter in an IDP camp in an AA-controlled territory, about the challenges faced by displaced women
Fighting between the Arakha Army (AA) and the military junta has been intense for nearly a year in Arakan State. Currently, the AA controls 10 townships in Arakan and Paletwa Township.
As the fighting continues, about 600,000 locals have fled their homes. They are struggling to get food and medicine and find proper shelter.
Among the displaced people, women face more difficulties than men. They experience not only physical but also mental security issues.
To learn more about the challenges faced by displaced women, Development Media Group (DMG) conducted this interview with 20-year-old Ma Thandar, who is currently living in an IDP camp in an AA-controlled territory after fleeing from Sittwe Township.
Q: Please tell us about current living conditions in the IDP camp.
A: Life here is very difficult for women. It’s completely different from living at home. Everything is difficult. Entire families are crowded into small spaces. Young men and women have to sleep in the same room with their parents. Even basic chores like washing clothes are difficult.
Q: What challenges do women face regarding personal hygiene?
A: We live in a monastery hall in an open space. Personal hygiene is extremely difficult. We can only bathe when no one is around. We have to use communal water storage. There’s no place to dry our underwear and clothes.
We only brought about three sets of underwear. During rainy season, we sometimes have to wear damp clothes. This sometimes causes stomach aches. The worst time is during menstruation. We can’t dry our clothes properly because there’s no space. We need to wear them, but they’re still wet. It’s really challenging.
Q: Can you tell us about the need for sanitary pads for women in IDP camps?
A: Before, we used to change sanitary pads 3-4 times a day. Now we can only change once or twice a day. Pads are very expensive. Some can’t afford to buy them at 4,000-5,000 kyats per pack. So we wear multiple layers of longyi (sarong). Sometimes we use shirts if our longyis aren’t dry.
We receive no support in the camps. Women can’t go without pads. In families with two women, they share one pack. Without any aid, we help each other. We don’t have enough clothes. We feel insecure without pads. When clothes are still wet, we worry about what to wear and if there will be stains. It’s mentally exhausting. All women here face these physical and mental challenges.
Q: What health concerns do women have?
A: We can only bathe after sunset. We have to stay in wet clothes, which leads to fears of fungal infections and urinary tract infections. We worry about other gynecological problems. When women face a health problem, there isn’t enough medicine.
We sleep on concrete floors, which causes cold-related illnesses. People get fevers and coughs. Elderly people worry about strokes. We can’t afford medical expenses. Medicine is hard to find and much more expensive than before. Health concerns are our main worry.
Q: How are you managing daily survival needs?
A: We’ve run out of cash that we brought. With no income and few jobs, we take whatever work we can find. We do laundry and clear grass. Sometimes we earn about 5,000 kyats per day. Women usually only cook, but now we load cargo onto boats. We work as hard as men do.
Loading cargo pays between 2,500 to 25,000 kyats per day. But most days there’s no work. We only buy food ingredients when we earn money. It’s nothing like living at home. We can’t even afford good fish for one meal. We can’t eat or dress as we want. It’s very difficult. We feel mentally suffocated.
Q: What concerns do you have about physical and mental security?
A: During this time of conflict, living in an IDP camp feels unsafe. In the evening, we eat around 3pm and stay on the pagoda square. There’s a trench in front of the camp. When fighter jets or planes come, we hide there. Everyone searches for safe places to hide. Our main concern is the airstrike threats.
Q: What else would you like to say about the hardships women face in IDP camps?
A: We want Arakanese people to help each other by providing jobs, especially for women. We try to find work at restaurants, but it’s not successful. With so many difficulties, we just hope for humanitarian aid. We want to appeal to international organizations and other groups for help.
We mainly need sanitary pads, underwear, and winter clothes as the winter approaches. Pregnant women need many baby supplies. Please help us with relief supplies.
Q: Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions.
Sent by Aung Htein (DMG)
