In early February, over 2,000 people from LTTE-controlled Vanni were waiting beyond the crossing point at Pramanalankulam, 15 miles west of Vavuniya town on Mannar-Vavuniya road, after they were denied permission to enter Army-held areas. The road between Pramanalankulam and Periyathambanai, five miles north-west, is a civilian security zone. After three weeks, the Army allowed the people on 8 February. Meanwhile, the Tigers warned civilians not to enter recently captured areas saying that they are heavily mined.
Malaria is continuing to cause concern in the Vanni, because of the difficulties in carrying out preventive measures. During 1997 and 1998, 53% of the 430,240 malaria patients in Sri Lanka were in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Jaffna districts. But 80% of the 177 deaths due to malaria were in these districts. Government Anti-Malaria Campaign Director Dr Punsiri Fernando says many deaths in the Vanni were caused because of lack of facilities for proper medical treatment.
Hospitals in the Vanni have suffered for many years without adequate medicines due to government restrictions. In 1999, the Mallavi hospital in Mullaitivu District treated 158,300 people, including for malaria, septicaemia and diarrhoea. Hospital authorities say 142 people died in the hospital. Of the 299 children born in the hospital in 1999, 166 were underweight. Press reports quoting Norwegian agency Redd Barna say undernutrition among children in Sri Lanka was 37% but in the Vanni it was as high as 67%.