Rodents recently devastated crops in nearly all the farms of villagers in Cikha town, sub-town of Tonzang Township in Chin state in northwest Burma.
The main staple food of Chin people – paddy and maize planted in farmlands in remote areas of Cikha sub-town were destroyed by rats multiplying rapidly since bamboo flowering in the region, according to locals in Cikha town.
"Several acres of crops were damaged. The rats nibbled the paddy plant from the middle of the stem," Min Thang from the Manipur state based Zomi Human Right Organization, monitoring the famine like food crisis in northern Chin state, said.
"The rats had eaten all the maize in the field and left nothing for villagers to collect," Min thang added.
There are 29 villages located in Cikha town area and a majority of villagers rely on cultivation.
The World Food Program (WFP) along with UN agencies, International and domestic NGOs in Rangoon had discussed the food crisis in Chin state and had agreed to provide relief aid to famine affected areas in Chin state at the last meeting held at United Nation Development Program (UNDP)'s meeting hall in Rangoon on August 25.
The WFP and Karuna Myanmar Social Services (KMSS) agreed to take up relief work in Tonzang Township.
Taking into account the recent crop devastation in Cikha town, Min Thang said, “They felt that the situation of insufficient food in Cikha could become more serious in the future in southern Chin state that is badly hit by food crisis”.
Since rodents had left nothing for villagers to collect from the fields, some villagers from remote areas in Cikha town crossed the Indo-Burma border and arrived in Manipur state, northeast India for purchasing rice, according to Min Thang.
Bamboo flowering began on the Indo-Burma border in late 2006 leading to multiplication of rats in the region. The rats gradually invaded the farmlands and destroyed crops such as paddy and maize – the main staple food of Chin state.
As a result along the Indo-Burma border areas, over 100,000 people, heavily dependant on cultivation are facing acute food shortage.
Initially, the most affected areas were Paletwa, Matupi, Thangtlang Township in southern Chin state but later the phenomenon spread to some areas in northern Chin state and in Sagaing Division.
