In Mullaitivu District hospitals, over 690 patients were treated for diarrhoea in September and October, 75% of whom were below 10 years of age. A child died of diarrhoea in Udayarkaddu hospital. In October, a pregnant woman named U Sathyapriya died of septicaemia in Mallavi hospital.
In early October, Pooneryn resident S Navaratnam died of diarrhoea in Kilinochchi hospital. Between January and August this year, 1,144 people were treated for diarrhoea. Eighteen children were admitted to the hospital with the disease in early October.
According to health officers, more than 2,800 children below five years of age in Mullaitivu District are suffering from severe malnutrition. Refugees are badly affected. According to current figures, 301,250 of the 375,000 Vanni residents are internally displaced.
The Sri Lankan Airforce continues to bomb LTTE-controlled areas of the Vanni. Planes attacked Mathalan in Mullaitivu District on 14 October, wounding four civilians, including 17 year-old Velum Mayilum Rubika. Four houses were damaged. The following day, planes again bombed the area damaging many more houses.
In Vavuniya, the magistrate ordered the arrest of police officers who assaulted and wounded Markandu Indrakumar, after arresting him in Vavuniya town on 6 October. The Army arrested Vavuniya traders N Shanmugarajah and K Erambamurthy on 19 October. Five others who were also taken into custody were later released. Security forces say plastic explosives were found when their shop in the town was searched.
A day earlier, the LTTE attacked a military camp at Ganeshapuram on Vavuniya-Mannar road, killing four soldiers and wounding 13 others.