Jaffna District Secretariat urges help from NGOs to assist uprooted civilians

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 January 2009, 14:36 GMT]
Jaffna Government Agent (GA) and Thenmaraadchi Divisional Secretary have requested the help of International and local Non Government Organizations (NGOs) and humanitarian organizations in Jaffna to supply urgent requisites other than food to the civilians who have been brought to Thenmaraadchi by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from areas earlier held by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Pa’lai, Pachchilaippa’li, Iyakkachchi and Vadamaraadchi East. 1796 persons belonging to 627 families have been brought by Sri Lanka Army to Kodikaamam till Thursday evening, according to the figures from the District Secretariat. More families have been brought Thursday night and on Friday.

Arrangements were under way to place civilians also in Kodikaamam government hospital premises, according to the latest update from the GA on Friday.

At present Thenmaraadchi DS officials are providing only cooked meals at government expense while their other urgent and basic needs are not met and hence the GA and the DS have requested help from NGOs and humanitarian organizations, the officials said.

Thenmaraadchi DS officials are facing difficulties in finding alternative accommodation for the refugees as only around 800 persons could be sheltered in Mirusuvil church.

Most of the civilians being ill, due to starvation and infectious diseases as they had been hiding in the jungle for more than five days, have been admitted to Jaffna Teaching Hospital for treatment, the sources said.

Meanwhile, GA Jaffna in his media report to media Friday said that 440 persons of 187 families of the above number have been placed in Koappaay Government Teachers’ Training College, 61 persons of 24 families are sheltered in Kurunakar Special Rehabilitation Centre while the rest 1295 persons of 416 families are lodged in Mirusuvil Roman Catholic Church and the school attached to it.

A special conference is to be held Saturday by the GA to which Government and Non-government Organizations are invited to take part.

Jaffna District Health Service department has taken the needed steps to look after the needs of the persons in the rehabilitation centres.

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