A Member of parliament from India’s Mizoram State has urged the United States (US) to help the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) open an office in Mizoram State.
Mr. K. Vanlalvena a member of parliament (MP) representing Mizoram State in the upper house (Rajya Sabha) of the Indian parliament said that such an office is needed to help refugees in Mizoram displaced by conflicts in neighbouring countries.
On 28 October 2024 in Washington DC, Mr. Vanlalvena met with Erin Kimsey, the US Department of State's representative for East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Region, and asked for help in opening a UNICEF office in Mizoram State.
He told Ms Kimsey that people displaced by conflict from India’s neighbours, Bangladesh and Myanmar and people displaced by fighting from the neighbouring Indian state of Manipur are sheltering in Mizoram State and amongst them there are many children who require access to education, healthcare, food, clothing, and accommodation.
He added that he was making the request because the Mizoram State Government is having great difficulty meeting the needs of displaced children.
Ms Kinsey thanked Mr. Vanlalvena for bringing the situation to the attention of her office and said it would consider his request.
Currently sheltering in Mizoram State there are: approximately 30,000 refugees from Myanmar displaced by fighting, around 2,000 displaced Bangladeshi citizens and nearly 10,000 people displaced from neighbouring Manipur State in India.
Prior to his meeting with Ms Kinsey in Washington DC, Mr. Vanlalvena attended Chin New Year’s celebrations in the US state of Maryland. Pu Zo Tum Hmung and Reverend Tim Sienna, two leaders of the Chin Association of Maryland, accompanied Mr. Vanlalvena when he met with Ms Kinsey.
