Refugees in Tweedan village, Lawngtlai district, Mizoram state, are facing food shortages and are in urgent need of rice assistance, according to aid workers.
In Tweedan village, local residents have not allowed the Paletwa refugees from selling goods at the market. Moreover, due to the lack of work during the summer season, many are facing financial difficulties, with some experiencing a shortage of basic necessities, according to Salain Mawsek who is working for refugees.
“We have no money as we have no job. We are not allowed to open shops. If this continues, we will face a shortage of food in the next month. Our leaders are forced to ask for help,” said Salai Mawsek.
Those helping the refugees have requested emergency food assistance from Chin organizations, including Chin Human Rights Organization (CHRO), and other groups within their reach. However, he continued, it has been reported that they have not yet received any support.
With the upcoming rainy season, freight handling jobs may resume, and the crops will be harvested. Therefore, there is an urgent need for food assistance from April to June.
“If assistance is provided now, the top priority will be rice. However, the rice will only last for the next three months. After July, freight transport will resume, and by August, the harvest of upland crops will begin, providing some relief. However, for the months of April, May, and June, the situation will remain quite difficult,” said Salai Mawsek.
In Tweedan village, Lawngtlai District, there are over 270 households of refugees from the Paletwa, with a population of more than 1,000 people. More than 100 households are in urgent need of food assistance.
In particular, teachers working in the refugee school, as well as those who have no support or assistance from foreign countries, are in urgent need of help.
A 25-kilogram bag of medium-quality rice, which costs 1,250 rupees in Lawngtlai town, is sold for 1,500 rupees (approximately 75,000 Myanmar kyats) in Tweedan village.
The Paletwa refugees taking shelter in Tweedan village are involved in activities such as freight handling, day labor, selling goods, and upland farming in areas allowed by the locals to support their livelihoods.
Since the beginning of this year, it has been reported that the village authorities relocated the refugees to a remote area away from the village, where they have built shelters and are living in makeshift huts. As a result, the refugees have faced additional expenses to rebuild their shelters.
Additionally, in February, the authorities and locals in Tweedan village banned the refugees from selling goods. Tweedan village is located over 100 miles away from Lawngtlai town, and it takes more than three hours to reach there by bus.