Biratnagar, April 12:

The disruption in transportation services for the past several days has created a shortage of food grains at the Bhutanese refugee camps in Jhapa and Morang districts.

With stocks having run out and no replenishment possible, the food grain godowns there have become empty. Vegetables too are in short supply. According to the Damak-based World Food Programme (WFP) wing, the office had provided rice to the refugees last Sunday.

The WFP provides food grains to the refugees. But, according to Kishor Rai, representative of the Bhutanese Human Rights Organisation, the office has not distributed any rice and vegetables for the past one week either in Beldangi or Shanishchare camps. He said the refugees have been suffering hunger pangs since then. “As transportation has ground to a halt, the supply of food grains has been affected. Stocks have run out,” the WFP said.

Meanwhile, a worker of the WFP office said that rice would be supplied top inmates in all seven camps, adding that the food grains had already reached Biratnagar. In a statement, the Kathmandu-based WFP office urged all to help supply rice to Jhapa from Biratnagar. The rice was supposed to be supplied today, the statement said.

The WFP provides 400 grams of rice to each refugee daily. The supply of kerosene, chillies and turmeric, which were being supplied with the support of the United Nations High Commission for the Refugees (UNHCR), has already been reduced.

The Commission has also reduced the supply rate of seasonal vegetables to the refugees. Over 1,05,000 Bhutanese refugees are living in the seven camps in Jhapa and Morang districts for the past 15 years.