Nine-month-old Christy has now begun crawling and is a centre of attention at the relief camp.PTI visited six relief camps in the Meiti-dominated Imphal Valley and Kuki-zo dominated Churachandpur district.Among the women who are counting their blessings in form of their newborns at the relief camps are four who gave birth to twins.Hatneu, who has found shelter at a different camp in Churachandpur, used to run a bamboo goods shop in Imphal valley earlier. She is in an alien set up, but is loving her motherhood.”I am a Kuki but I have always lived in the Valley only. Now we were forced to relocate here due to circumstances. Last month I gave birth to my baby at a nearby health facility. I have named my baby girl — Nganthoibi which means shining light,” she said.Hatneu said at leat 15 babies have been born in that camp.A dedicated camp set up for pregnant women in Imphal valley saw the birth of 168 babies.The facility, which was opened on May 21 last year, hosted 164 women, who were brought there from different relief camps around the state.The camp was winded up in February when no pregnant women were found in the relief camps in the valley.”Earlier, pregnant women were staying in the same camps as other women and it was felt they will not get the adequate space and care needed during the period. So a dedicated camp was set up, where 168 children were born between May 2023 till February this year,” said Manipur BJP President Sharda Devi who spearheaded the initiative.”We allowed one person to stay with each pregnant or lactating woman to serve as an attendant while the rest of the family members stayed in other camps,” she added.



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