Care Report On Monga Nov 05

Report on “Monga” in Northern Bangladesh Overview : The Northern Region of Bangladesh is situated in the Tista and Jamuna basin, and contains many tributaries of these. Topography and climate make the area ecologically vulnerable to destabilizing variations including floods, river erosion, drought spells, and cold waves, all of which occur more frequently and intensely than in other regions. Amidst these compelling conditions, the local economy shows little diversification and is heavily dependent on ag riculture – which yields only one or sometimes two annual harvests, in contrast with three crops per year in more fertile and benign parts of the country. In this setting, local employment is limited from September through December – in average years. As the landless and poorest survive on agricultural wage labor, their opportunities and ensuing incomes drop in this period, and they become trapped in what is called Monga - a cyclical phenomenon of poverty and hunger. In years with particular negative weather conditions – drought, cold spells or floods -, the period of seasonal unemployment expands to more than four months, for example when early floods in August – September destroy part of the recently sown Aman rice crop. And whenever unexpected rainfall leads to swollen rivers and increased erosion or flooding, the implications are destroyed houses hitting cash-strapped poor households, loss of stored foodstocks, and entire families fleeing to higher grounds where they have to sleep in the open. In this context of vulnerability, seasonal food insecurity manifests itself in all three of its dimensions: availability; access and utilization. The shocks that trigger food insecurity are usually local natural disasters, aggravated by the specific vulnerabi lity that the hard-core poor endure in economic, social, health, and governance factors. This year, unusual flooding in September and October 2005 generated a particular crisis situation that is considerably worse than an average year. The floods destroy ed household assets, houses as well as standing crops of rice and vegetables. There is virtually no demand for wage labor – precisely when thousands of laborers are desperate to earn a few Taka to repair their damaged houses and buy much needed food. Many of them and their families have already entered a routine of only one poor meal per day, which leads to a state of chronic malnutrition and starvation. Every year, substantial numbers of boys and men migrate during the Monga season to cities and more benign rural regions, in search of work. This coping mechanism does not end the suffering of their families, however. Women and children whose able -bodied male household members have migrated, are vulnerable and often cannot cover their basic needs. As soc ial norms limit their mobility and engagement in the market economy, many women are confined to their homestead and deprived from income-earning options. Many of them feel discriminated by their neighbors and families -in-law. Concrete manifestations of Monga : • The poorest households are pushed into distress conditions, and become compelled to sell their assets for survival. • Monga affected families are taking maximum one meal per day. • Pregnant, children, lactating mothers including elderly people are s uffering from malnutrition. • Rate of diseases increase due to malnutrition and distressed life conditions. • Theft and hijacking increase in the Monga affected areas. • Poor vulnerable people are changing their professions. • Unrest and domestic violence tend to increase. • Able-bodies boys and men migrate to cities and more resourceful rural regions of the country. • Babies are born underweight and suffer malnutrition from their first days onward. • Child education stagnates. • Loan from non-institutional sources increased.

• • •

Disabled and elderly people of the families are neglected and suffer in particular. Increased numbers of beggars. Labor pledging in advance.

CARE has collected information from different NGOs, and consulted with villagers and local government authorities. Some of the data are incomplete due to Eid vacations. List of most affected Monga areas of North Region a. Gaibandha district: Upazila 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Fulchari Shaghata Gaibandha Sundarganj Palashbari Gobindaganj Sadullahpur Total 7

# of Unions & Pourashavas 07 10 09 15 06 12 10 69

# of affected villages 82 135 96 186 107 243 150 999

# of affected families 30,691 59,031 47,679 86,950 36,386 76,725 57,199 394,661

Affected Population 150,386 271,544 228,858 395,623 167,376 350,320 257,396 1,821,503

b. Nilphamari District: Upazila 1 2 3

Jaldhaka Dimla Domar Total 3

# of Unions

# of affected villages

4 7 5 16

# of affected families

4 20 11 35

712 4,350 3,200 8,262

c. Kurigram District: 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2

Upazila Bhurungamari Nageswari Total 2

No. of Union # of affected villages 2 6 2 5 4 11

Kurigram Sadar Rajarhat Ulipur Chilmari Rowmari Rajibpur Fulbari Total 7

08 07 13 06 05 03 06 48

Rowmari Rajibpur Total 2

5 3 8

# of families 2,092 1,860 3,952

Not available

62,500 62,500 Not available

6500 4500 11,000

d. Lamonirhat district - Rural Upazila 1 2 3 4 5

Lalmonirhat sadar Aditmari Kaligonj Hatibandha Pathgram Total 5

# of Union

# of affected villages

# of families

Population Total

8 2 3 6 2 21

67 9 16 20 6 118

21,474 6,215 13,127 11,877 4,325 57,018

27,138 62,486 51,855 20,703 162,182

Lamonirhat district - Urban 1

Pourashava

Pourashava

# of ward affected

# of families

Pop. Total

Lalmonirhat sadar

1

7

2,996

12,202

Summary of detailed, district - level tables above: Districts 1 2 3 4. Rural Urban

Gaibandha Nilphamari Kurigram Sadar Lalmonirhat Total = 5

# of # of Union Upazilas Pourashava 7 69 3 16 9 60

# of affected villages 999 35 Not available

# of families 394,,661 8,262 77,460

5

21

118

57,018

24

166 7 173

1,152 2,996 4,148

537,401 12,202 549,603

Grand Total

Response of government & other agencies: The central government and some Union Parishad authorities have taken initiatives to face the Monga situation in this region. The regular VGF program has been increased with resources to reach out to additional hard-core poor families under different packages. Statistical information regarding the actual coverage of these measures is not available. Among CARE’s key informants are a District Commisioner and several Upazila Nirbahi Officers who confirm that there is no systematic approach in these responses. Most interventions by UP and Upazila officials are of small scale, and generally scattered. All government officials resented the critical tone in most newspaper reporting on the response to this year’s Monga. In some localities, army staff has been deployed to monitor the process and the local government’s response. People ability to cope with current situation: The households that have been most affected by this year’s Monga are coping with the situation by taking food of inferior quality, and by skipping meals. The array of households’ responses further includes the sale of labor in advance, or taking loan from money -lenders at high interest rates. The relief distribution on behalf of the government is found insufficient. Particularly vulnerable are women, children, elderly and ethnic minority people, as they tend to have limited options in terms of social capital and safety nets.