India (MNN) — The Indian army stayed busy this week escorting a convoy of supply trucks into Manipur state. After violent fighting broke out earlier this month, essential items like food, water, and medicine fell to critical lows in Manipur’s capital.
“People are getting evacuated or finding their way across borders into a neighboring state,” Bibles For The World’s John Pudaite says.
Simmering ethnic tensions boiled over when Manipur’s Majority people group demanded benefits intended for the minority. On Wednesday, Manipur’s government told the Supreme Court that violence resulted from the illegal drug businesses belonging to minority people groups.
“We’re trying to mobilize [goods] from neighboring states and bring those in because most of our suppliers were in the valley area [where the Majority people group lives,]” Pudaite says.
Because Bibles For The World partners with Christians from minority people groups, “they’re not releasing medicines to our hospital right now,” he continues.
“It’s almost like a civil war between the two communities – the tribals and the non-tribals.”
There’s also a religious undertone to the ethnic conflict. More about that here.
“I’ve spoken with some of our pastors in the [capital] city. They were able to get out first to the military camps and then find a way out of the state,” Pudaite says.
“Our church partner has had 12 churches attacked. We know that these numbers will increase as more reports come from remote villages and districts.”
Partner with Bibles For The World as they bring physical aid and the hope of Christ to survivors.
“Our hospital has been treating a lot of the victims early on. We have been supplying medicines, food, and other essential [items] as people come to the refugee camps,” Pudaite says.
Header image depicts displaced people at one of Bibles For The World’s emergency shelters. (Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World)
