Kinniya displaced face food shortage

[TamilNet, Sunday, 30 November 2003, 18:02 GMT]
Hundreds of Tamil families displaced from villages Alankerni, Eechantivu and Upparu in Kinniya division are still languishing in refugee centres without enough essential food items as they are unable to go to Kinniya town to buy their provisions. The co-operative outlet in Alankerni has been closed down due to threat by Muslim groups in the Kinniya area, non-governmental sources said.

About thirty Tamils families displaced from Alankerni have come to Trincomalee town and staying at Kalaimagal Vidiyalayam and are being looked after by local NGOs, sources said.

A consignment of essential food items collected by non-governmental organizations in Trincomalee town had been sent to Tamil refugees staying in welfare centres in Alankerni and Eachchantivu villages by sea Sunday afternoon.

The provisions were taken to the villages by the volunteers of the Trincomalee district branch of the Sri Lanka Red Cross located in Trincomalee with the assistance of the Sri Lanka Navy.

Earlier on Friday a consignment of food items supplied by Trincomalee co-operative society was taken to these two Tamil villages by the Sri Lanka Army in its trucks when a group of Muslims prevented the Kinniya co-operative society from supplying relief food items to displaced Tamil families, sources said.

Meanwhile, a conference was held Sunday morning at Grand Mosque of Kinniya town. All three Muslim parliamentarians of the district, the Government Agent, army officials, religious and community leaders and other civilian officials attended the conference, where matters related to bringing normalcy to the area were discussed, sources said.

Kinniya Divisional Secretary said at the conference that about three thousand families from both communities have been displaced due to the present tense situation following the killing of three Muslim farmers on Friday. Of the displaced about eight hundred families are from Tamil community, sources said.

He requested the Government Agent to order dry ration relief to all displaced families.