A parliamentary committee has renewed its call for targeted support for internally displaced women and children in Manipur, warning that current social welfare plans may be insufficient to address a crisis of an “extraordinary humanitarian nature”.
In a report on the government’s action on recommendations contained in the 2025-26 grant applications submitted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD), which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the ministry’s relevant Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education, Women, Children, Youth and Sports, headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, said the immediate needs of displaced families living in relief camps require focused intervention and additional resources.
In its report issued in March 2026, the committee recommended that the ministry provide nutritious food, breakfast and adequate accommodation facilities and allocate additional funds to support women and children residing in relief camps “until the situation returns to normal.”
In its response, the ministry said support has already been provided through Mission Vatsalya, Mission Shakti and Mission Bhushan 2.0, and said there is “no requirement to establish a dedicated special committee with a separate targeted programme/policy/scheme” for internally displaced women and children.
Vatsalya Mission provides institutional and non-institutional care to children living in difficult circumstances, she said $4,000 for each child available under non-institutional care, 78 child care institutions have been approved in Manipur.
The Ministry also referred to the role of child welfare committees and national and state committees for the protection of children’s rights in monitoring care and protection mechanisms.
However, in its report submitted on June 16, the committee said that while it recognized the existing framework of schemes and institutional arrangements, the situation in Manipur included “large numbers of internally displaced women and children residing in relief camps for a prolonged period”.
“The committee considers that relying solely on existing schemes may not be sufficient to meet immediate and specific needs, particularly with regard to the provision of nutritious food and breakfast, safe housing, health care and psychosocial support,” the report stated.
The committee added that the issue of additional funding for relief camps “needs attention” and reiterated that “temporary and targeted financial support, even within the scope of existing schemes, is essential” to ensure that women and children in relief camps are not deprived of basic facilities.
The ministry recommended conducting a “focused assessment” of conditions in relief camps and considering “allocating additional funds or flexibility within existing plans” to meet emergency needs. The committee also called for the provision of services to be closely monitored to ensure adequate nutrition, shelter and care.
In addition, the Ministry has requested coordination with other ministries to evaluate measures that can help alleviate the difficulties faced by women and children in Manipur.
Ethnic clashes in Manipur first began between the Meitei and Kuki communities before encompassing almost all communities. The state’s Meite and Kuki Zou communities have remained largely isolated in their-dominated areas since ethnic clashes began in May 2023, killing at least 260 people and displacing about 60,000.
The Metis people, most of whom are Hindu, live largely in the Imphal Valley. Members of the Kuki tribe, who are mostly Christians, reside in the hills. The state government confirmed that there are no buffer zones dividing communities in the state, although it has identified some sensitive areas.
In February, a new government was formed, almost a year after “presidential rule” was imposed. It includes representatives of the three main communities as part of an attempt to maintain ethnic balance.
