-Two thousand ppl in severe crisis
-Due to severe floods, they lost their ripe rice
-People survive on bamboo sticks
-Network and commute problem worsens situations
In remote border areas of Thanchi Upazila of Bandarban nearside of Myanmar, the dire situation of food crisis is still not over in the villages. Moreover, in order to reach the border area villages along with the food, a big challenge has to face by the administration and the helpers. Due to which the food crisis of more than two thousand people in 21 neighborhoods of the border has not yet been overcome. As a result the villagers are in deep problem.
About 200 km from Thanchi upazila headquarters, near the root of Sangu river, there are 21 villages in remote area bordering Myanmar. It takes about three days to go there which costs more than Tk 20 thousand. Living in remote border areas there are Mronggong Para, Chai Khyong Para, Longri, Yangbong Lower Para, Yangbong Upper Para, Pathar Ghat Para, Lingpung Para, Animukh Para (Mothipara), Likri Mro Para, Likri Tripura Para, Malum Ga Para, Kongkong (About 64 families in the village including Phaykhyang) Para, Nama Para, Notun Para, Parao Para, Raiwai Para, Panjidi Para, Chandramahan Para, Tangkhowai, Bulu Para, Menhat Para. Those villages have a population of more than two thousand people from the Mro and Marma communities. They depend on jum rice as their staple food. But due to severe floods last year, almost all the villages in those remote areas have lost their ripe rice. Many of them could not bring 10kg of paddy home. Therefore, this food crisis has arisen due to the lack of storage of rice in the house last year.
For the last two and a half months, more than 500 (children and old) people in those villages have been fighting for their lives by eating liquid food mixed with rice and forest potatoes and bamboo shoots. Moreover, in the villages, thin food is prepared for 6-8 members of each family by mixing a pot of rice with forest potatoes and bamboo shoots. The people of this remote area are struggling to survive by eating these foods until the new rice harvest of Jum arrives. Due to the remoteness and lack of communication and the hostile weather during the rainy season, the famine has occurred due to the inability to come to the local markets or markets as well as to buy daily essential food items including rice at home.
Mohammad Mamun, Thanchi Upazila Nirbahi Officer said, as the area is isolated and very inaccessible, the timing of food aid has become a big challenge. It is also a great thing to know the problems of the people there. There is no network in the neighborhood where food crisis has occurred. There is no alternative way to travel except by boat. So it is very difficult to reach and communicate in those areas. After the news of food crisis was published in various media, I discussed with the Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of Remakri Union Parishad and sent 2 metric tons of emergency food items to that area. After that, I have sent 4 metric tons of food and daily necessities through student organizations of various universities. However, I am doing whatever assistance is required from the administration.
A few days ago, the news spread that there is a food crisis in 21 neighborhoods including Menhat Para, Bulu Para, Yongdong Para and Tangkhwaing Para, Mronggong Para, Ward No 6 and 9 of Remakri Union near Thanchi border with Myanmar. Since there is no rice in the house, everyone including the elderly and children of the neighborhood has been surviving on bamboo sticks (young bamboo) for about one-and-a-half months as an alternative to rice. A group of local journalists left for the border neighborhoods on Friday of this month to confirm the truth of this news. There was also a team of 20 BGB members from Bolipara 38 Battalion of Thanchi Upazila.
Menhat Para, the last village in the east of Bangladesh, is a 1-hour hill walk from Bulu Para. After a few hours of walking, the group of journalists reached Menhat Mro neighborhood near the Myanmar border. It is a village inhabited by the Mro community. 18 families live in a total of 14 houses in this neighborhood. All are from the Mro community. The houses are made of bamboo poles, fences and bamboo leaves and most of the houses are dilapidated. In those houses, the families survive on a thin diet of rice mixed with bamboo shoots. Along with journalists, Bulu Para BGB camp commander came forward to help the people in the village during the famine.
Lieutenant Colonel Taimur Rahman Khan, Zone Commanding Officer of 34 Battalion, said that the areas are very inaccessible, disconnected and dangerous, so the information about the reality and the miserable life of the people there is not properly reported.
Rengwe Mro, a resident of Menhat Para, said that one and a half kg of rice is needed for a meal for four members of the family. They eat three meals a day. A little over 10 kg of rice was in the house a month ago. That rice will be finished before the new rice of Jum arrives. If the aided rice runs out soon, his family will face a food crisis. By reducing the amount of rice, instead of three meals a day, he is eating half a kilo of rice and increasing the amount of bamboo cords, but he is still struggling to survive.
Media workers visited the border villages and published the news. After that, students came forward to help the administration and various student societies. 10 kg of rice twice through the UP member of Ward No 6 of Remakri Union, then 25 kg of rice was given to the border families three times through Mro student organization. But those families are still worried because the rice that has been given is almost at the end. Jum paddy is not fully ripe yet. It will take another 12-15 days to ripen the paddy. Until then, his family will have to wait for Jum's ripe rice without eating.
Daunak Mro, a resident of another neighborhood, said that 45 kg of rice, which was given relief three times, is almost at its end. After that, we may have to borrow from someone else except to cut the semi-ripe rice of Jum and boil it or fry it to eat it.
Bulu Para Karbari (village head) of the border area Bulu Mro said, after the news came out in our village, Menhat Para and other villages, we got 27kg of rice, 1kg of nappy, 2kg of salt and 1kg of dry goods from the government and from the tribal students.
Remakri UP Chairman Muishithui Marma was contacted but his mobile phone was found to be switched off.
In this regard, Deputy Commissioner Shah Mojahid Uddin said, I know about the food situation in remote areas in Thanchi Upazila. I have already asked the Upazila UNO to take all kinds of cooperation measures.
ZH
