...................A.B.I............... Kashmir News: Shortage of Medicines, Edibles And Other Important Things Hits Kishtwar Very Badly...... Humanitarian crisis in Kishtwar People starve for edibles, medicines...... >> Strict curfew and restrictions put in place in various areas of Kishtwar over the past week have triggered a serious humanitarian crisis in the area. Curfew was imposed across Kishtiwar region on the first day of Eid on 9thaugust followingthe outbreak of communal clashes. After the clashes spilled over to other parts of the Jammu region curfew was extended to other parts of the Jammu as well. Although the authorities have lifted curfew in the Jammu city and seven other districts of the region, Kishtiwar continues to reel under strict curfew. With no let-up in curfew, peoplein Kishtiwar are facing acute shortage of foodand medicines. The most affected are the new-born babies and expecting mothers. Thetroopers and cops while enforcing the curfewhamper the movement of ambulances and vehicles carrying medical emergencies. This has led to a chaotic situation complicating theproblems of patients in the entire region. Local residents say that the life has been virtually turned into hell in Kishtiwaras it has become impossible to get daily food and other commodities. “One of our relative had gone to the hospital in Kishtiwar on the first day of Eid but since past week he hasn’t returned as he says that forces are not allowing anyone to move out of the hospital. The crisis here are very severe,” Muhammad Khaleel a local resident told Sources over phone. Khaleel said his wife is suffering from high blood pressure from past week, but the familyis not able to purchase the required medicines for her. “Many people on life-long medication are facing immense hardships. My wife is suffering high blood pressure and she needs immediate medical care. I could not purchase the medicines due to continuous restrictions,” Khaleel said. Soon after the clashes in the area which left three people and dead and many others injured, the local administration called out thearmy to impose the curfew strictly. “Soldiers don’t allow anybody, even the patients to venture out. Even interior lanes and by-lanes have been cordoned. We are facing immense shortage of essential items and medicines,” Ghulam Hussain Munshi a retired government employee said. He said besides medicine there was acute shortage of baby food in various areas of Kishtiwar. “The regular supply of food and essential commodities is not coming to Kishtiwar due to curfew. Baby food is completely missing,” Hussain said. While not once the authorities have relaxed the curfew since the past week, locals say it has brought the daily wagers on the verge of starvation. “Many people who earn their livelihood as small time street vendors and laborers are on the verge of starvation. They earn few hundred rupees by selling fruits or vegetablesbut from past one week, nobody has been allowed to venture out. Their families are on the verge of starvation,” Hussain added. The continuous curfew for past week has drastically affected normal life in Kishtiwar. “We have no food and or other edibles but still weren’t allowed to move out. The Government is not doing anything to address the concerns of the people. Ration, milk, vegetables, fruits, baby food are not being provided to the people. Medical care is the worst hit,” said a President Public Awareness Front Kishtiwar, Shakir Siddiqui. He said government has not taken any measure to defuse the situation in the area. “Even though reports are coming that administration is holding talks with the people, but it is choosing people selectively. Not everyone has been taken on board and we have heard that the other community has completely boycotted these meetings. It’s a very tense situation over here,” Siddiqui said in a telephonic interview. While the government is saying that it’s tryingits best toimprove the on ground situation but, it has come under sharp attack from the Muslim community which says the government is arresting people selectively. “On one side everything is hit by the crisis and on the otherside the government is pushing us to the wallby arresting our children. 11 people from a particular community have been arrested, Khan said the process of arrests hasn’t stopped yet and the government is preparing the list of ‘real culprits’. “No the allegations are completely wrong. Thefact is that we have not stopped the process of arresting people, we are preparingthe list and we will arrest all those found guilty. No one will be allowed to exploit the situation,” Khan said.
Posted on: Fri, 16 Aug 2013 06:37:26 +0000
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