Manipur violence: Two displaced children die at Mizoram relief camp

Aizawl: A 12-year-old boy and 1-month-old baby, the two among the many internally displaced people from Manipur who have been taking refuge at a village in north Mizoram’s Kolasib district, died of illness on Monday, an official said.

While the boy who was taking refuge at a relief camp with his family died of pneumonia, the infant died due to a high fever. The children were taking shelter in Mizoram since the violence broke out on May 3, the official informed.

In another incident, two persons aged 57 and 23 from Manipur died in an accident in Saitual district on Sunday, police said. Both the victims, who hailed from Lamka, or Churachandpur, met with an accident while fleeing to Mizoram with three other members.

Last month, a woman, who took shelter at Vairengte village in Kolasib district near the Assam border, also died of abdominal pain. Her body was sent to her native village in Manipur.

Meanwhile, Saiphai village council vice president Lalthlirlien Hmar, who is also a member of a village-level relief committee, informed that the 12-year-old boy, identified as Lalthalien, was complaining of illness for the past few days and he was being looked after by a health worker in the village. The body of the deceased was sent to his native village Savawmphai in south Manipur’s Pherzawl district on Monday.

As per sources, the infant was born at a health sub-centre soon after her mother fled to Saiphai village from Manipur during the riots and was staying there since then.

Following the deaths, the district administration has been instructed to conduct a general health check-up in the village relief camp where a total of 136 people, mostly women, children and senior citizens, are taking shelter in Saiphai village after the ethnic violence.

According to sources, the village relief committee was providing food to the displaced people with the help of donations from NGOs, churches and villagers but recently reports of a food crisis surfaced and the state government is yet to provide assistance.

Earlier, state home commissioner and secretary H. Lalengmawia had said that they had sought monetary assistance from the Centre to the tune of Rs 5 crore as immediate relief for the displaced people. The state disaster management and rehabilitation department will also sanction money for relief, he had said.

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