The famine in Chin State, Western Burma (Myanmar) is a naturally occurring disaster caused by the flowering and dying of a certain type of bamboo that exists in Chin State mostly in the southern region. This bamboo blooms once every 50 years, producing a fruit. Rats are attracted to this fruit, with the increased food supply for rats to subsist on. Usually rats give birth twice a year but when the bamboo is flowering they can give birth dozens of times in a year as the bamboo flowering give them good nutrition to support their reproduction.

Rats destroy everything

The rats lead to the decimation of basic crops and paddy fields in the area. People have reported their crops disappearing over night, causing massive shortage of food for communities primarily dependent on traditional agricultural system in Chinland.

They attack not only crops, also have been found to eat bamboo matted floors inside houses and have even destroyed home materials. The destruction of crops has resulted in severe food shortages. As a result, this situation affects the people through starvation bringing along with it death, destruction and suffering.

 

Consequences of the Famine

The consequences of the famine are expected to have widespread and long-term affects on the people of Chin State. The most immediate concern is high rates of starvation, malnutrition, and the rapid deterioration of people’s health in the affected areas. Villagers from affected areas have reported that families are currently being reduced to one meal a day of limited nutritious value.

Forced to leave Burma

Due to the famine, many hundreds of families have already left Chin State and have entered Mizoram province, northern India. Although relief measures are in place to assist communities from Mizoram who are also struggling with the conditions created by the flowering bamboo, these relief efforts are not made available to people coming from Chin State.