Mizoram receives Rs 8 crore for 43,000 refugees

Mizoram has been allocated Rs 8 crore by the Central Government to support over 43,000 refugees from Myanmar, Manipur, and Bangladesh, the state Assembly was informed on Tuesday.

Home Minister K Sapdanga revealed that Rs 3 crore was provided during the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) administration, while Rs 5 crore was allocated under the current Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM) government. In response to a query from opposition MNF member Ramthanmawia, Sapdanga detailed that the initial Rs 3 crore was utilized for amenities in refugee camps and other assistance for those displaced from Myanmar. The remaining Rs 5 crore is yet to be allocated for ongoing relief efforts.

According to the state home department, as of August 13, Mizoram is sheltering 43,737 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Manipur. Myanmar refugees constitute the largest group at 33,724, followed by 7,999 IDPs from Manipur and 2,014 Bangladeshi refugees.

Champhai district in East Mizoram, which hosts nearly 14,000 refugees, has seen the highest influx, predominantly from Myanmar’s Chin state since the military takeover in February 2021. Additionally, the Bawm people from Bangladesh’s Chittagong Hill Tracts arrived in Mizoram in November 2022 following a military offensive by the Bangladesh army. The Kuki-Zo people from Manipur, who share ethnic ties with the Mizos, began seeking refuge in Mizoram in May 2023 due to ongoing ethnic violence in Manipur.