Rakhine State
Western Myanmar state devastated by Rohingya crisis and Arakan Army offensive, with resistance controlling substantial territory.
Rakhine State is Myanmar's western coastal region—the site of the Rohingya humanitarian crisis and ongoing armed conflict between the military and the Arakan Army. The state's economy collapsed under successive waves of violence, displacement, and international isolation.
The 2017 military campaign against Rohingya Muslims triggered mass exodus to Bangladesh, international sanctions, and genocide charges at the International Court of Justice. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya remain in camps; those who stayed face severe restrictions. The humanitarian situation ranks among the world's worst.
The Arakan Army, fighting for Rakhine autonomy, launched major offensives in 2024-2025. By early 2025, resistance forces controlled substantial territory. Fighting devastated infrastructure and displaced additional populations beyond the Rohingya. The military regime lost effective control of much of the state.
The biological pattern is sequential collapse: Rakhine experienced first the Rohingya crisis, then intensified armed conflict, with each shock compounding previous damage to economic and social systems.