People in the the Vanni have suffered for many years as a result of government restrictions on food, medicine and fuel. Observers fear that the current problem will contribute to the long-term ill-effects on the population, particularly children. Senior state officers in the Vanni, the Government Agents (GA) appealed to Colombo’s Essential Services Commissioner (ESC) saying that food stocks were critically depleted.
The humanitarian supply route through Pappamoddai in Mannar District was closed on 26 June following Army operation Rana Gosha IV (Battle Cry). Since this date, negotiations between the Army and the LTTE to open a new supply route have continued, each side sticking to its position without consideration for the plight of civilians.
The Army suggested one of three routes: 1) From Poovarasankulam on Mannar-Vavuniya road to Thunukkai in Mullaitivu District; 2) from Army-held Mankulam on Vavuniya-Jaffna road to the north or west into Tiger-controlled areas; 3) from Mankulam to the east through Puthukudyiruppu into Mullaitivu District. The LTTE agreed on 1 July to allow the use of the road northwards from Mankulam.
The military insisted on the establishment of a five kilometre long, one kilometre wide demilitarized civilian security zone from Mankulam, in effect demanding the LTTE to withdraw five kilometres. The Army drew attention to the LTTE shooting of policemen at the cross-loading checkpoint at Uyilankulam in Mannar District in April, as justification for this demand. Predictably the Tigers refused and informed the ICRC that the short distance between the checkpoints of the Army and the LTTE could be treated as a security zone.
Patients requiring critical medical care are facing life-threatening delays. Because of shortage of medicines and medical equipment in Vanni hospitals, seriously ill patients are usually sent by ambulance to hospitals in Vavuniya or Anuradhapura. But such transfers are now not allowed. Mathiyaparanam, a patient in Kilinochchi hospital whose transfer to Vavuniya was denied, died in mid-July.
At least eight people died in the Vanni in July, due to lack of proper medical care. According to US-based agency Human Rights Watch, some 100 patients waited for transfer. In late July, staff at Puthukudyiruppu hospital pleaded with the ICRC to save four people who were seriously ill. One of them, S Sunthararajan, later died.
The ESC says Rs 18 million ($287,500) has been paid to the Vanni GAs to purchase rice in the open market. But no food has entered the Vanni since the closure of the supply route and the food available in the Vanni is almost exhausted. NGOs say that there is a backlog of 975 lorryloads of government rations to the Vanni.
The government has always disputed the refugee figures submitted by its own officers in the Vanni. Whereas the ESC claims that only 162,400 people have been listed as internally displaced, the GAs say there are 376,300 people in LTTE-controlled areas and 297,700 of them are refugees. The government transferred Mullaitivu GA Tharmakulasingham and Kilinochchi GA T Rajanayagam to Colombo in late July, accusing them of giving false information to international agencies about the situation in the Vanni. Reports say military officers may replace them.
Most of the 25,000 people displaced in Mannar in Operation Rana Gosha IV continue to live in the open at Palaiyaru and Vellankulam exposed to the elements. Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph who visited the areas in July says that the people are suffering without adequate food, drinking water or fuel.
Many civilians are trapped on both sides of the border and face extreme difficulty separated from their families and economic means. Over 2,000 Vanni people were stuck in Vavuniya town unable to return home. On 28 July, the Army took these people in 29 buses to Mundrumurippu and allowed them to walk to LTTE areas, without agreement with the Tigers. When the people began walking towards Tiger-controlled Thunukkai, the Tigers fired gunshots forcing them to return. The LTTE say that the Army attempted to use the people as human shields by allowing them to walk over minefields.
Observers believe that the blockade of NGO offices by people in Mallavi on 17 July demanding the agencies to pressurize the Sri Lankan government to open a supply route, was LTTE inspired. The agencies have stressed that their non-partisan role was critically important for service in the war zone. Thousands of people also surrounded government and UN offices affecting humanitarian work.
The transport disruption has affected money supply and people are unable to withdraw cash from banks. Hundreds of postal bags are lying in Vavuniya and the Vanni. As a result, government officers, teachers and hospital staff have not received their wages. The GCE (Advanced Level) examination scheduled for early August may also be disrupted. At the end of July, no agreement had been reached.