Aid to ‘rat ravaged’ Mizoram as thousands on brink of starvation

News hook: ActionAid trucks set off with food relief (5 April)

Aizawl, 2 April: As nearly a million people face starvation in the Indian state of Mizoram, ActionAid gears up to deliver emergency food aid to over 3000 villagers in remote areas of Lawngtali district bordering Bangladesh and Burma.

Villagers are struggling to feed themselves after rats pillaged crops across the state. Estimates indicate almost 95% destruction of rice crop. Central and State government urgently need to step up the response to meet the food crisis, says ActionAid.

Government efforts including cash-for-work programmes and additional subsidised food through the public distribution system are falling short of needs. The State declared emergency in December 2007.

“Although the state government had ample warning, emergency measures have by and large proved inadequate in the face of crisis,” says Mrinal Gohain of ActionAid.

“People are living on one meal a day as they do not have enough money to buy subsidised rice. Many more are foraging in forests for food,” he adds.

Two ActionAid trucks carrying food for families in remote pockets of Lwangtlai district, South Mizoram are scheduled to depart from Silchar in the neighbouring state of Assam on 5 April under the banner of HungerFREE Mizoram.

“These are some of the most remote areas and can be reached only by foot along jungle trails. With the onset of monsoon many villages will be totally cut off,” says Manik Shah Mazumder of ActionAid who is coordinating the delivery.

Delivery is being organised with the help of 40 volunteers from Centre for Peace and Development and the Young Lai Association, organisations based in Mizoram. Food will be unloaded from trucks onto four wheel drive vehicles and carried by head for the last part of the journey.

“Thanks to our collaboration with local organizations and volunteers, we hope to reach out to the most vulnerable people, including those who are located in inaccessible areas” said Mrinal Gohain of ActionAid.

Food items including 25000 Kg of rice, 1750 Kg of dal and 500 Kg of iodised salt, are destined for 10 villages: Tuisentlang, Mautlang, Chamdur Project I, Chamdur Project II, Lunghauka, Laitlang, Tuidumzau, Betsury,Bolisora, Fangfarlui.

Another crisis unfolding is shortage of seeds. The current planting season lasts until May.

“Unless they get seeds villages will see yet another crop failure. Farmers are unwilling to sow for next season until the rats have been eradicated,” adds Manik.

Government relief measures such as a bounty of a rupee for every rat tail, bonfires of killed rats and free rat poison rat traps have brought little respite from the rodents.

ActionAid is calling for more food, seeds funds and a swift government response to rein in the growing food crisis in Mizoram.

ENDS.

Notes to editor:
All eight districts of Mizoram consisting of 824 villages are facing food crisis. The worst affected districts are:

• Lawngtlai – 118 villages, 60 villages are in critical condition (total population 73050).
• Saiha – 76 villages (total population 60823)
• Mamit – 96 villages (total population 62313)
• Lunglei – 186 villages (total population 137155)

State government announced in March procurement of an additional of two lakh quintals of rice from Central government. Food Corporation of India currently allocates 11,640 tonnes of rice per month to Mizoram.

 

ActionAid is responding with relief aid to 10 villages in Lawngtlai. Two trucks of food are scheduled to depart from Silchar, Assam on 5 April. (Departure time/date to be confirmed on 4 April).

 

Other agencies involved in relief efforts in the region include: Canadian-based Global Youth Network, Salvation Army and World Vision.

 

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ActionAid is an international anti-poverty agency working in over 40 countries, taking sides with poor people to end poverty and injustice together. In India, ActionAid works with communities in 24 states and two Union Territories. www.actionaidindia.org

HungerFREE is a global campaign launched by ActionAid to push the issue of hunger to the top of the political agenda and force governments to deliver on their commitment to halve world hunger by 2015.