THE NORTH
Jaffna amid the ruins
BRITISH medical agency Merlin says that 5% of all buildings in Jaffna town have been severely damaged and 60% need repairs. The town lacks electricity and running water and the Jaffna hospital is destroyed to a large extent.
The military claims over 200,000 civilians have returned home after Operation Sunray II. Reports say that people in the Army-controlled areas in the west of the Jaffna peninsula are facing grave difficulties. Dry rations, including rice and wheat flour are issued once a week and vegetables are available only in a few shops in Vaddukottai.
A medical centre has been set up at Pannalai and those seriously ill are taken to the Palaly Army base. Most crops have been destroyed and dead animals litter the area. In Vadamaratchy there is an acute shortage of food and kerosene prices have risen, NGOs say.
Clashes in Jaffna have continued. The Army says 41 Tigers were killed at Sangarathai in Valikamam West on 3 April. Five soldiers were also killed and 14 injured. Another 43 LTTE died in attacks in Pandatharippu and Chankanai the following day. In a clash at Kaddaikadu north-east of Elephant Pass on 8 April two soldiers and three Tigers were killed. Heavy Army shelling of eastern areas has continued throughout April. A woman was injured by shell on 6 April at Kaithady, south-west of Chavakachcheri.
People in Vadamaratchy and Thenmaratchy staged a 20-mile human chain protest from Chavakachcheri to Point Pedro on 10 April as rumours grew of the impending military operation. Following the protest the Jaffna Confederation of Peoples Organisations dispatched a petition through UNHCR urging the UN Secretary General to prevail on President Chandrika to call off the operation.
Local NGOs in Kilinochchi say that the Government Agents food stores are almost empty. In March only half of the expected 8,000 tonnes of food was received. Food convoys were suspended for a period in April because of tax demands by the Tamil militant group PLOTE which controls Vavuniya town.
Water supply to the refugees in the Vanni is now the main concern of the NGOs. Colombo has not responded to the Government Agents request for drought relief. The Defence Ministry has refused permission for a UNICEF emergency water/sanitation engineer to visit the Vanni. The government also has not changed its policy on shelter programmes insisting that the objective is to return the refugees to Jaffna.
Kilinochchi Health Ministry officials have not received funds for 1996 to carry out health and sanitation work. NGOs say malaria is a major concern and drugs and equipment are inadequate to combat diseases.
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