Disaster: Around 84 households in three gewogs in Lhuentse lost at least 45 acres of maize crops to a wind storm on July 3. Furthermore, rain since July 2 also contributed to the damage.

Gewog officials said that in Gangzur gewog, at least 33 households lost 26 of their 36 acres of maize crop.

In Tsengkhar gewog, around 46 households lost around 12 acres of maize while in Jarey gewog, five households lost more than seven acres of maize.

Tashi, 36, from Tshochen village, Tsengkhar gewog, lost about an acre of maize.

This is the first time she has lost maize to such an event. She said that it took more than two months of hard work to cultivate her maize crops. She added that the rain and wind storm wiped out her hard work in a matter of minutes.

Tashi, who is a mother of three children, said that as her husband is a lay monk, she was usually the only one who had been toiling in her fields.

She is now worried about how she will be able to feed her family.

Similarly, Sonam Wangmo, a mother of four, lost about an acre of maize. She said she is also concerned about how she will be able to take care of her family. She said that it is hoped that the government will assist those affected.

Sonam Wangmo said that her family has no other source of income.

Tashi Phuntsho | Lhuentse

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