NGOs provide food items to Kanniya resettled families

[TamilNet, Saturday, 06 May 2006, 17:04 GMT]
The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) with the support of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and Trincomalee Methodist Church (TMC) Friday distributed about six hundred thousand rupees worth essential food items and other materials to about 234 resettled Tamil families in Kanniya village, who have lost their livelihood due to the recent disturbances and staying in their houses without fleeing to other areas, sources said.

Each family has been distributed with a relief package worth about three thousand rupees. Of 234 resettled families 28 are residing Killikunchcumalai, 38 at Maangaiootu, 88 at Peeliaydi and 80 at Kanniya, TRO sources said.

Sithiravelu Baskaran alias Batchcha, a member of the resettled family in Kanniya was arrested by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and later his body was found near Mihindupra few miles away from his house with gunshot injuries. This incident took place few days after bomb explosion and followed arson and violence in Trincomalee town on April 12. Civil sources alleged that the SLA was responsible for his death, sources said.

However, resettled families in the village have been continuing to live amid fear without leaving to other areas. But heads of these families, mainly agricultural laborers have lost their daily income.

Kanniya is a traditional Tamil village located about 8 km off northwest of Trincomalee town along Trincomalee-Anuradhapura road. The entire village was displaced in 1985 military operation launched by the SLA, sources said.