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Shortage of food and other basic essentials in the Northeast – Situation report

Please see http://www.ltteps.org/?view=1541&folder=2 for a description of how the restrictions are implemented by the Sri Lankan military.

Displaced people as well as local people in LTTE administered areas of Kathiraveli, and Eechilampaththu in Trincomalee are trapped without relief reaching them. People and goods are also unable to enter or exit from the GoSL controlled areas of Jaffna. Entry and exit from LTTE administered Vanni areas into Vavuniya is highly restricted. Restrictions are also imposed on transport of food and other goods to LTTE areas in Batticaloa.

Throughout the LTTE administered area in the Northeast, long queues of people in front of grocery shops, waiting to buy rationed amounts of ordinary food items like, sugar and flour, have become a common occurrence.

Trincomalee

The situation of the people in Kathiraveli and Eechilampaththu where no international aid agencies are present has been repeatedly raised by the LTTE political Head for Trincomalee, Elilan.

The Sri Lankan military has isolated the people in these areas and is not permitting any relief reaching these places. The Sri Lankan military attack on Sampur over the four days has displaced more people to these areas.

Elilan also pointed out that the ICRC aid convoy that reached Mutur a week ago was only for the people in GoSL controlled area of Mutur and it was not intended for nor did it reach the LTTE administered areas of Eechilampaththu and Kathiraveli. These areas have not had any relief since the beginning of this month. People in these areas say that although TRO is willing to transport relief, the Sri Lankan military is not permitting TRO to do so.

Jaffna

Jaffna is into the fourth week of curfew as well as into the fourth week without regular food supply reaching the area due to border closure by the military. Although one ICRC shipment reached Jaffna by sea this will hardly meet the needs of 500,000 people.

The major source of protein for the people in Jaffna is sea food. Yet, fishing has been completely banned for the last three weeks. This has put the 10,000 fishermen and their families without livelihood. The ban has also taken away a major staple food of the people of Jaffna.

Fuel shortage has also affected farming, the other major livelihood of the people of Jaffna. Many of the crops already in growth are not being cared for due to the curfew and lack of fuel to water the crops.

Many people, Civilian Based Organizations, and religious leaders have privately said that the A9 road must be opened to avert a human tragedy. Bishop of Jaffna, Thomas Soundaranayagam, Jaffna Chamber of Commerce and Agricultural and Consumer Societies have been brave enough issue public appeals to the President Rajapakse. Many groups and individuals are too frightened even to voice their concern over the closure of borders. Such is the rule of law by the GoSL in the Northeast.

Mannar

When the Sri Lankan military closed the borders, the annual festival of the famous Madhu church in Mannar has already begun. Large numbers of people from Jaffna were in Mannar for the Madhu festival. When the Sri Lankan military closed the borders without any warning these Madu church pilgrims were trapped in Mannar. These Madhu church pilgrims have remained trapped for three weeks with no sign of relief. The Bishop of Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph appealed to the Government to take immediate steps to arrange for the return of the pilgrims back to their homes. The Bishop said that the pilgrims are without any money or decent tent to sleep.

Batticaloa

The LTTE administered areas of Batticaloa is across the Batticaloa lake. People have to go into Batticaloa town to buy their needs and then cross by ferry into LTTE area. At the ferry checkpoints the Sri Lankan military is enforcing limits on how much food as well as other items people can take on the ferry. Every person is limited to what they can carry in their hand and no more.

Limiting the amount of food taken must surely be one of the most serious violation of international humanitarian norms.

Kilinochchi & Mullaitivu

Thousands of families have displaced from LTTE administered parts of the eastern coast of Jaffna into LTTE administered Vanni areas. These displaced people have not received any assistance from the government. Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) is caring for these people. There are thousands of children under the age of 12 among the displaced whose schooling has been disrupted by the displacement.

In the meantime the Sri Lankan military is restricting food lorries entering Vanni. On 30 August it permitted only 39 lorries through the Omanthai checkpoint which is far short of the usual number of lorries that come through this checkpoint with food items for the Vanni area.

Patients are unable to go to hospital due to lack of fuel. Medicines shortages have already started to bite.

01 September 2006

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