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Vaharai and Jaffna – struggle for basic food

Civilians including women and children are facing dire conditions without enough medical facilities. Even the ambulances with patients who need immediate medical attention from Vaharai hospital were not allowed to go to Valaichanai hospital or Batticaloa hospital.

A pregnant woman and mother of two children died in Vaharai hospital on 14th November after being denied access to Valaichchenai hospital.

Punitha aged 35, a pregnant woman from Periyamukaththuvaram was admitted to Vakarai hospital on 13th November. Her condition needed attention at the larger hospital in Valaichchenai for her delivery. Since the only ambulance in Vaharai hospital broke down, an ambulance from Valaichenai hospital had to come to take Punitha to Valaichenai hospital. But the Sri Lankan military refused to allow the ambulance and turned it back at the Mankerni check point. Punitha died at Vaharai hospital after giving birth to her baby.

A food convoy of four lorries to Vaharai was also blocked and sent back to Batticaloa by the Sri Lankan military at Mankerni check point. It is by now well known that there is severe shortage for food items in Vaharai and people are facing starvation.

Jaffna

A limited amount of food items are distributed by the Government Agent through the Multi Purpose Co-operative Society. Even this limited distribution is disturbed by the activities of the Sri Lankan military.

The Sri Lankan military continues to forcefully take the food items which are stored for distribution by the Multi Purpose Co-operative Society (MPCS). For example, Sri Lankan military forcefully took food items from the Kondavil MPCS store to their head quarters; depleting the stock available for distribution to the civilian.

Some of these stolen foods were sold by the Sri Lankan military at their camps to people who in turn sell it for higher price in the black market.

16 November 2006

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