INDIA: Government’s neglect and corruption drives a 30 year-old Dalit woman to death through starvation

INDIA: Government’s neglect and corruption drives a 30 year-old Dalit woman to death through starvation

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) draws your attention to the starvation death of a 30-year-old woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste (known as ‘untouchables’ or ‘Dalits’) in Jabalpur district, Madhya Pradesh. According to the field research by Jay Shiksha Kendra and the Right to Food Support Group, all the members of the family, including the victim, could barely manage to obtain half a piece of Indian bread per day during the last month. The deceased victim did not eat any food for four days before she died on December 16, 2009. Despite of this, to date, no government programmes targeting the poor have reached the family. Read more about INDIA: Government’s neglect and corruption drives a 30 year-old Dalit woman to death through starvation

INDIA: Government’s neglect and corruption drives a 30 year-old Dalit woman to death through starvation

INDIA: Government’s neglect and corruption drives a 30 year-old Dalit woman to death through starvation

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) draws your attention to the starvation death of a 30-year-old woman belonging to the Scheduled Caste (known as ‘untouchables’ or ‘Dalits’) in Jabalpur district, Madhya Pradesh. According to the field research by Jay Shiksha Kendra and the Right to Food Support Group, all the members of the family, including the victim, could barely manage to obtain half a piece of Indian bread per day during the last month. The deceased victim did not eat any food for four days before she died on December 16, 2009. Despite of this, to date, no government programmes targeting the poor have reached the family. Read more about INDIA: Government’s neglect and corruption drives a 30 year-old Dalit woman to death through starvation

UPDATE (India): More children severely malnourished found in Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh

UPDATE (India): More children severely malnourished found in Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding malnourished children in the villages of Java Block, Rewa District. We have found that many children are severely malnourished and the government schemes and programs guaranteeing right to food, including heath care and employment are not fully implemented because of discrimination against the tribal community as well as the corruption of the duty bearers. Despite the demand for immediate action for the severely malnourished children, neither government authorities nor the health institution has taken any action. Read more about UPDATE (India): More children severely malnourished found in Rewa district, Madhya Pradesh

INDIA: 22 children died of malnutrition associated with diseases for past two months in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh

INDIA: 22 children died of malnutrition associated with diseases for past two months in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to draw your attention to the 22 children who died of malnutrition associated with relevant diseases for past two months in Sidhi district where is highly predominated by tribal communities. According to the report the AHRC received from civil groups including Dalit – Adiwasi Mahapanchaayat, Mahila Adhikar Manch, Janpehal and Right to Food Campaign (Madhya Pradesh), twenty two children died in four villages from August to October 2009. They revealed that the health institutions as well as public food distribution scheme guaranteeing right to food and health has failed to reach the region’s poor tribal communities. Despite these findings, the local administration has not taken substantial action. Read more about INDIA: 22 children died of malnutrition associated with diseases for past two months in Sidhi district, Madhya Pradesh

UPDATE (Indonesia): The villagers living in famine-affected areas in 2009 have still not received adequate food and medical aid

UPDATE (Indonesia): The villagers living in famine-affected areas in 2009 have still not received adequate food and medical aid

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information regarding the affected villages where 113 people died of starvation with associated illnesses in 2009. The AHRC has reported in AHRC-HAC-006-2009 on 16 September 2009 asking for immediate action for the affected seven districts in order to ensure their right to food, the lack of which threatens their right to life every year. Despite of government promises, only some of those areas have received food assistance whereas other areas have yet to receive anything at all. Above all, basic infrastructure and agricultural system have not been improved which is the most primary element to guarantee food security in Papua. The AHRC is deeply concerned that failure of harvest will contribute to continuous hunger in the affected areas. Read more about UPDATE (Indonesia): The villagers living in famine-affected areas in 2009 have still not received adequate food and medical aid

INDIA: Extreme starvation claims five lives of a tribal family in Orissa

INDIA: Extreme starvation claims five lives of a tribal family in Orissa

The Asia Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that extreme poverty and long-term starvation lead to the death of five members including two children under age of six of the same family of a tribal community from September to December 2009. It is also reported that within the last two years starvation claimed the lives of 50 among the 35-40 age group in the same village. It has been exposed that all forms of government programmes aiming to ensure food security for the poor and children have not reached Borumal village properly. Even after several complaints from the villagers, the administration authority has never taken action to respect the right to food of the villagers by implementing those schemes. The Right to Food Campaign Orissa filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for the case and the AHRC strongly urges the relevant authorities to take immediate action for the villagers who have been denied of their right to food. Read more about INDIA: Extreme starvation claims five lives of a tribal family in Orissa

INDIA: No government programme supports severely malnourished child in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh

INDIA: No government programme supports severely malnourished child in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh

INDIA: No government programme supports severely malnourished child in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from the People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) that four-year-old Ibran suffers from Grade IV malnutrition which falls in the category of Severely Acute Malnutrition (SAM). Despite complaints by the human rights activist, the administration has failed to have him treated free of charge. In addition no government programmes guaranteeing food and health security has so far reached Ibran’s family. Ghazipur District in particular has the highest numbers of severely malnourished children in Uttar Pradesh. Read more about INDIA: No government programme supports severely malnourished child in Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh

Official letter from Orissa government regarding Bhuje Naik case

Official letter from Orissa government regarding Bhuje Naik case

This is a letter dated on 25 February 2010 from the department of Revenue and Disaster Management, Orissa government. BY FAX- +34925278914 GOVERNMENT OF ORISSA REVENUE & DISASTER MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT ***** Letter No. IV-F-(Starve) 18/09- 7115 /R&DM, Dated 25th February, 2010 From S. Bhuyan, Joint Secretary to Government. To Jin Ju, Programmer Officer, Right toContinue Reading Official letter from Orissa government regarding Bhuje Naik case

INDIA: Twenty-eight tribal children in two villages have died of malnutrition in the last three months in Madhya Pradesh

INDIA: Twenty-eight tribal children in two villages have died of malnutrition in the last three months in Madhya Pradesh

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that 28 tribal children have recently been allowed to die of malnutrition. According to a field report by Madhya Pradesh Lok Sanghash Sajha Manch and the Right to Food Campaign Madhya Pradesh, the families of the deceased children have clearly been deprived of their right to food and right to health of the children in particular, due to the failure of government programmes to reach tribal communities. Despite this, the relevant government authorities have not yet taken action to support the victims, or other children in the villages confronting the same situation. Read more about INDIA: Twenty-eight tribal children in two villages have died of malnutrition in the last three months in Madhya Pradesh

INDIA: Seven children suffer from starvation and child labour in Orissa

INDIA: Seven children suffer from starvation and child labour in Orissa

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you that Ms. Bhuje died on New Year’s Eve after struggling against sickness and hunger since April 2009. She leaves behind seven children. Before Bhuje’s death, her husband died of Tuberculosis in January 2009. Facing lack of food and lack of a sustainable livelihood, all the children are deprived of their rights. Only after the intervention by the Right to Food Group and the media in October 2009, did the relevant authority provide temporary support. Furthermore, Bhuje was denied the government support that she was entitled to and even humiliated by government officials including the District Collector. Five of the children are currently working as child labourers instead of going to school. Read more about INDIA: Seven children suffer from starvation and child labour in Orissa