Severe rainfall has damaged or washed out major trade routes in Rakhine State, disrupting the flow of goods and causing a sharp rise in prices.
Towns under Arakan Army (AA) control depend on trade routes linked to the Indian border, but recent heavy rainfall has severely impacted transportation throughout the region.
The road connecting Lawngtlai in India’s Mizoram State to Paletwa in Chin State is a key trade route for the Rakhine region. However, torrential downpours and their aftermath have severely disrupted transport, bringing trade to a standstill.
A resident of Paletwa reported that damage to the Paletwa–Lawngtlai route has left over 50 vehicles stranded, while water transport has also been disrupted.
“The road conditions are poor, so the Indian side also denied passage,” said the male resident in his 30s. “River travel isn’t any easier, with garbage and floating logs blocking the way.”
A trader based in the region reported that numerous vehicles were also stuck along the road linking Paletwa to Saw in Magway Region, effectively halting the transport of goods to Rakhine.
“There are more than 100 trucks stuck on the road. Although repairs are in progress, there’s no clear timeline for when travel will resume,” he said.
A resident of Kyauktaw stated that prices in the northern Rakhine town have increased sharply as goods become increasingly scarce.
“The price of eggs has gone up, and so has fuel,” the resident said.
“Life was already tough, but the rising prices have made it even harder.”
In Rakhine State, a single egg now costs 1,300 kyat, compared with the current price of 500 kyat in Naypyitaw. Cooking oil and other basic foodstuffs are also far more expensive in AA-controlled areas, according to residents.
The recent weather-induced disruptions are just the latest source of economic hardship in the state. Myanmar’s military regime has tightly restricted trade between Rakhine State and the rest of the country since the AA launched a major offensive in late 2023.
Since then, the group has seized control of 14 of the state’s 17 townships, as well as Paletwa in southern Chin State.
