e_Paper, Tuesday, June 20, 2017

4
TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 2017
DT
News
With Eid nearing fast, Haor people still
reeling from food crisis
• Himadri Shekor Vodro, Sylhet
CURRENT AFFAIRS
With Eid-ul-Fitr only a week away,
people of the flood-ravaged Haor
areas in Sunamganj are not yet
sure about how they are going to
observe the festive occasion since
they are still bearing the brunt of
food crisis.
Many affected people say they
are not getting the food that is
being distributed under the Vulnerable
Group Feeding (VGF) programme
of the government.
Earlier on April 23, the government
had announced that some
335,000 families of the flood-ravaged
Haor region would receive
relief. Each family would get 30kg
rice and Tk500 as emergency support
under a 100-day scheme.
Apart from rice and cash, some
171,715 families were supposed to
get relief material through the VGF
and Open Market Sale (OMS) programmes.
“I am not sure if I will be able
to buy clothes for my children,”
said Phul Banu of Puchhna village
under Tahirpur upazila. “All I
am thinking about now is how to
arrange the next meal as we are
gripped by a severe food crisis.”
She said Eid would bring no joy
to her and her children.
She is among thousands whose
plan to celebrate the religious festival
has been shattered due to their
growing miseries caused by the
food crisis. The situation is getting
worse as unemployment has increased
significantly in the last two
and half months.
Crops in 166,612 hectares of land
was inundated in the district, affecting
around 300,000 farmers
and causing at least Tk1,700 crore
of loss.
‘I am not sure if I will
be able to buy clothes
for my children. All I
am thinking about is
how to arrange the
next meal’
However, a non-government estimate
says 200,000 hectares of land
was flooded.
Heavy rainfall in the Meghalaya
hills in India from March 29
prompted the flood situation.
Currently, there are at least
300,000 people in the district who
have been extremely affected by
the flood. Only half of them are
receiving food supplies under the
VGF programme.
Laleha Khatun, also from the
same village, said just four out of 72
poor families are benefiting from
the programme.
Tola Mia, also from Puchha, said
he witnessed many a crisis, but the
prevailing one is the worst.
“There are difficulties all around.
We are facing a growing crisis of
food and employment here,” he
said, adding that the situation is degrading
with days going by.
The recent torrential rainfalls
are also weighing on them heavily.
Many predict that their ordeals will
continue until the Boro harvesting
season.
The district relief and rehabilitation
office said the affected people
of 11 upazilas and four municipalities
will be distributed 1,594 tonnes
of rice against 59,331 VGF cards before
Eid.
Sunamganj Additional Deputy
Commissioner Md Kamruzzaman
said each of the affected families
would get 10 kgs of rice.
Despite the growing crisis in
Sunamganj, Finance Minster AMA
Muhith on June 5 wrote to the Ministry
of Disaster Management and
Relief to stop the VGF programme.
In the letter, he mentioned that
the government ran different food
programmes for the poor across
the country for five months every
year. So, it is unnecessary to continue
the VGF programme.
He said only the low price food
distribution programmes would be
continued instead. •