Five tribal children have reportedly died due to malnutrition at Attappady in Palakkad district of Kerala this year. The total deaths due to malnutrition in this tribal area has touched 24 in the last 15 months. The CAG report on social sector for 2012, which was tabled in the state Assembly last month, vindicates this when it states that malnutrition among children below six years of age remained at 27-39 per cent in Kerala. The death of tribal infants came out in a survey conducted by a voluntary organisation, Thambu, in three village panchayats in Attappady. Of the five deaths, infants below the age of two were born underweight. Others who were born with normal weight gradually lost weight and died. One of the infant had weighed only 650 grams at the time of birth. The CAG report had noted that of the 1,180 children who died in 2012, 110 were malnourished. It also said that 55-66 per cent children in Kerala did not have access supplementary nutrition programme implemented under the Integrated Child Development Service (ICDS) of Social Welfare Department. According to local MP, M B Rajesh, who visited the region on Sunday, the situation that has risen due to the collapse of nutrition programme is alarming.Recently, the supply of nutritional mix to mothers in the region has been cut by half. In Attappady, pregnant women and feeding mothers alike are anaemic. The region is under severe drought and women don't have any work. In the last one year, the ICDS has stopped supply of milk and egg to mothers. Many of these women have no means to buy essential provisions. Rajendra Prasad, president of Thambu, said the tribal women were living on porridge made from one-rupee rice for BPL families. However, district medical officer, K Venugopalan, said a few of the victims were suffering from malnutrition due to malabsorption syndrome, which is an alteration in the ability of the intestine to absorb nutrients adequately into the blood stream. "Some of the victims suffered from weight loss after their birth due to malabsorption syndrome. Their mothers looked healthy. We need a detailed study to ascertain the real reasons,'' he said.