Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPCR) Chairperson Keisam Pradipkumar today visited the Makhan Relief Camp, where he interacted with internally displaced families, children, community leaders and members of the camp’s Relief Committee. During the visit, he also inaugurated a Child Facilitation Centre (CFC) to provide psychosocial care and recreational support for children affected by the ongoing conflict.
The Makhan Relief Camp, established on the intervening night of May 14 and 15, 2026, currently shelters 171 internally displaced persons from 62 families, including 84 children and students. The displaced families, belonging to the Tangkhul and Liangmai communities, fled their villages following the recent Naga-Kuki violence that affected Konsakhul, K. Lungwiram and Wangli villages. Although the camp houses 171 inmates, more than 600 displaced persons from the affected areas are staying at different locations in Makhan.
Members of the Relief Committee informed the MCPCR Chairperson that the camp has not yet received formal recognition from the district administration, preventing it from receiving regular government relief. Food and essential supplies are presently sustained through community donations, while official assistance has been limited to mattresses and a few basic relief items. They also highlighted the difficulties faced by children, many of whom travel between three and five kilometres daily to attend school, a challenge worsened by the monsoon.
Expressing concern over the prolonged impact of the conflict on children, Pradipkumar said the violence that began in May 2023 has severely disrupted the lives of thousands of children across Manipur. He stressed the need for a comprehensive State Action Plan for internally displaced children focusing on education, mental health, psychosocial care, child protection and rehabilitation.
He also urged the Government to notify the long-pending Manipur State Policy for Children, drafted by MCPCR in 2017, and called for a special support mechanism under the Mission Vatsalya Sponsorship Scheme to ensure sustained assistance for displaced children. He appealed to the district administration to formally recognise the Makhan Relief Camp to facilitate regular government aid.
The newly inaugurated Child Facilitation Centre, sponsored by the New Life Foundation, Bishnupur, has been established as a child-friendly space equipped with educational and recreational materials. The foundation’s Secretary, L. Pishak Singh, said the Makhan facility is the 21st Child Facilitation Centre supported by the organisation in relief camps across Manipur, aimed at promoting the protection, emotional recovery and resilience of conflict-affected children.
