Children born into displacement in Manipur relief camps
Nearly 60,000 displaced people continue to live in camps across Manipur following ethnic violence.
Children born after the ethnic violence erupted in Manipur in May 2023 are growing up in relief camps, according to reports by Deccan Chronicle and The Tribune. These infants are living in temporary accommodations originally intended for short-term use.
A senior government official informed PTI that approximately 60,000 internally displaced persons are still residing in various relief camps throughout the state. In Imphal West, a two-and-a-half-month-old boy named Nolan lives in a prefabricated cabin that residents say becomes extremely hot during summer.
At the Akampat relief camp located at Ideal Girls' College, classrooms have been turned into living quarters. While the premises once housed around 400 displaced families, officials said that number has decreased to about 120 after some were moved to a housing complex facility.
One resident, Th Binashi, lives in a former chemistry laboratory with her husband, Th Sanathoiba, and their nine-month-old daughter, Yaisna. Binashi, who is from Kakching, said that raising a baby in the camp is difficult despite the availability of vaccination camps and a primary health centre.
Another couple at the Akampat camp, Sapam Victoria and Th Gopal Meitei, recently had a son named Taibanganba. The couple, who married 15 months ago, earns a living by selling baskets, incense sticks and candles.
Loitongbam Romita and Laishram John, whose house and shop in Moreh were burnt, are also living in the camps. The family receives government assistance of Rs 3,000 per person per month and has four children, including newborn Tomthin Nganba.