Australian NGO Director warns of Humanitarian Disaster in the absence of foreign aid workers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 September 2008, 09:42 GMT]
The extreme humanitarian situation of Internally Displaced Persons, including thousands of children, who are already malnourished, would deteriorate dramatically as clean water is not available for all the IDPs and they have been deprived of medicine by the Sri Lankan government, said Executive Director Paul O'Callaghan of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), which has 25 member organisations working in Sri Lanka over many decades. He has expressed fear of a blood bath as foreign aid workers of UN agencies and NGOs packed their bags following the orders by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) to leave the Vanni region last week.
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IDPs urge foreign aid workers not to leave Vanni, block convoy

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 September 2008, 16:50 GMT]
Internally Displaced Persons, who gathered Friday morning in front of the UNHCR office at Karadippoakku junction in Ki'linochchi, pleaded with the remaining officials of the UN and International NGOs not to leave Ki'linochchi as their presence was critical, not only for humanitarian assistance, but also to sustain a secure zone to escape. They said they feared that in the coming days Sri Lanka military will employ Colombo’s scorched earth policy to destroy key Vanni towns using aerial and artillery bombardment. Meanwhile, a group of IDPs blocked the convoy of NGO vehicles in a peaceful protest from 6:00 a.m, forcing the NGOs to abandon their trip on Friday.
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Uprooted families in Jaffna, still waiting action plan for resettlement

[TamilNet, Monday, 08 September 2008, 08:19 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials who met the committee appointed by the Colombo Supreme Court to explore the possibility of resettling uprooted people from the High Security Zone (HSZ) of the SLA, told the committee on Friday that more than 600 families, outside the HSZ and the adjoining no-man zone, have been resettled, including the data as part of the uprooted families within the HSZ. 19,000 families have been uprooted from their houses within the HSZ in Jaffna. Only 24 houses have been cleared for resettlement within the 600 meter no-go zone, the SLA has informed the committee.
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Tissainayagam, PTA, and Humanitarian Crisis in Vanni

[TamilNet, Friday, 05 September 2008, 11:45 GMT]
The action taken by the Sri Lankan Government to indict Tissainayagam, for stating the truth and exercising the right of fair comment he enjoys as a journalist, make it impossible for any dissent from the governments point of view to be published by the press in Sri Lanka. Tissainayagam is the first journalist to be caught up under the Draconian twins, the Prevention of Terrorism Act No:48 of 1979 (PTA) as amended, and the Emergency Regulations (EMR).
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Silence of IC indelible for Tamil memory - Fr. Emmanuel

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 September 2008, 13:15 GMT]
"The roles played by the major powers in overlooking the state terrorism and human rights violations of the Sri Lankan state, will stay permanent in the Tamil memory for ever," said Rev. Prof. Dr. S.J. Emmanuel, the former Vicar General of Vanni region, in an open letter from Germany, reacting to the silence of the International Community to the unfolding catastrophe of civilian sufferings in the districts of Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi, overcrowded with IDPs seeking protection from the atrocities of the Sri Lankan forces. His statement comes as Sri Lanka Army's artillery shells reached Ki'iinochchi in the early hours of Thursday.
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SLA shells IDP settlements in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 September 2008, 05:34 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery fire towards Union-ku'lam and Oottup-pulam villages with Internally Displaced Persons, southwest of Ki'ilnochchi town, Tuesday morning around 8:10 a.m. Artillery shells exploded near IDP settlements.
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Poonakari AGA office relocates documents due to SLA offensive

[TamilNet, Monday, 01 September 2008, 12:57 GMT]
Poonakari Assistant Government Agent’s (AGA) office which has been operating from Muddkompan due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) shelling, is again moving important documents to Ki’linochchi Government Secretariat as SLA attacks on Muddkompan area have escalated, Poonakari AGA, Mr. Rajan, said.
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NGO vehicle narrowly escapes DPU Claymore attack in Vanni

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 18:53 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Deep Penetration Unit soldiers triggered a Claymore mine Friday evening around 7:00 p.m. on a convoy of FORUT, a Norwegian NGO, at Kanakaraayanku'lam, a few minutes after the convoy has passed the entry point to Vanni, Tamileelam Police officials told TamilNet Saturday. Tamileelam police officials charged that the SLA has stepped up Claymore attacks on civilian vehicles in Vanni in a bid to terrorise the people of Vanni. The NGOs and the UN agencies have become under pressure from the Sri Lankan government, which is pressurising a move to force people to vacate LTTE administered areas.
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SLA shelling kills 5 IDPs, children in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2008, 12:15 GMT]
Five civilians, including two children, displaced recently from Mannaar district were killed Saturday evening when Sri Lanka Army (SLA) launched artillery attack on Puthumu'rippu village, situated 7 km southwest of Ki'inochchi town. Three civilians were rushed to Ki'inochchi hospital in critical condition, according to medical sources. The SLA attack, targeting the village, densely populated by IDPs, comes a day after Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) dropped leaflets threatening heavy casualties to civilians in Vanni unless they moved from LTTE administered Vanni.
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SLA denies permission for paddy cultivation in Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 August 2008, 06:55 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna denied permission for the Maha Season paddy cultivation in areas adjoining its High Security Zone (HSZ) in Ma'ravanpulavu, Thanangki'lappu and Koayilaakka'ndi in Thenmaraadchi, depriving thousands of Internally Displaced families of their sole livelihood, farmers representatives in Jaffna said. The farmers have repeatedly requested Jaffna Government Agent to allow them to cultivate their paddy fields.
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Tamil Diaspora must act to prevent humanitarian tragedy - MP

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 09:39 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Member of Parliament from Jaffna District, Selvarajah Gajendran, on Tuesday, urged the Tamil Diaspora to provide assistance to local aid agencies working among the IDPs in Vanni and to campaign in their host countries to exert pressure on the GoSL to remove restrictions on the transport of emergency supplies to Vanni and urge the International Community to support the Tamil people's right to live in peace in their homeland. The Sri Lankan government has ordered Government Agents to operate from Vavuniyaa and has actively discouraged even UN agencies from entering Vanni, the MP said.
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Catholic commission in Vanni highlights IDPs plight

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 August 2008, 00:19 GMT]
Amid pouring rain and thundering blasts of artillery and mortar shells, more than 170,000 Internally Displaced Persons in Vanni are facing a great human tragedy, which is calculatedly concealed from the world outside, said Rev. Fr. James Pathinathan, the president of the Vanni branch of the Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jaffna, in an urgent appeal to the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, on Tuesday. "If the International Community doesn't act at once, it will be too late," he told TamilNet after handing over the memorandum to the Residential Representative of the UNHCR in Vanni.
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Jaffna Catholics raise one million rupees to help Vanni IDPs

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 August 2008, 10:10 GMT]
In response to the recent appeal by the Commission for Justice and Peace (CJP) to all Catholics in Jaffna peninsula to generously contribute to a relief fund towards helping the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Vanni, 1.2 million rupees were collected during the special mass and Holy Communion held Sunday in the Catholic churches throughout the peninsula sources close to the Bishop of Jaffna, said.
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233 families allowed to resettle in no-man zone in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 August 2008, 07:23 GMT]
The committee appointed by Colombo Supreme Court to explore into the possibility of resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in areas inside Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam north met Saturday around 3:30 p.m in Palaali SLA Head Quarters and decided to allow resettlement in the first stage only in areas outside the HSZ within the 600 meter distance of no-man’s area, contrary to the hopes of the applicants for resettlement inside the HSZ, now occupied by the SLA.
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IDP fire victims to be resettled in Sithamparapuram village

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2008, 21:14 GMT]
220 Internall Displaced Persons belonging to 56 families, who lost their temporary shelters due to fire that took place second time at Poonthoaddam Welfare Centre in Vavuniyaa, could be resettled in Sithamparapuram village in Vavuniyaa division with their consent, according to Planning Officer Ms. Vijayaluxmy Ketheeswaran, who is in charge of resettlement division.
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Fuel crisis cripples IDP movement in Vanni - Ki'linochchi GA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 August 2008, 11:24 GMT]
More than 100,000 Internally Displaced People in Vanni, languishing in dark beneath shrubs, bushes and in public buildings throughout Ki'linochchi district, and affected by various hardships imposed by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has crippled the ability of the IDPs to move themselves and their belongings, according to the Government Agent of Ki'linochchi district. 134,868 IDPs belonging to 35,353 families are heavily affected by the economic blockade in Ki'inochchi district. Meanwhile the rainy season has begun in Vanni and more than 75 percent of the families are getting drenched by the torrential rain.
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4 IDP children food poisoned in Ki’linochchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 15:14 GMT]
Four children in a family displaced from Periya Pa’ndivirichchaan in Mannaar district due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensives and presently lodged at Ki’linochchi Mu’rippu School are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Ki'linochchi hospital Wednesday morning. The children had eaten rice cooked Tuesday noon for breakfast Wednesday, hospital sources said.
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Moothoor IDP families hold prayers for safe return to own villages

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 12:09 GMT]
Tamil families displaced from Moothoor east following military operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in April, 2006, and still being sheltered in welfare centers in Batticaloa district and Trincomalee district, are to hold a one-day prayer on August 16 Saturday, a Full Moon Day (Poora'nai), in Amman Temples for their safe return to their traditional Tamil villages, sources said.
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Fire again destroys IDP sheds in Vavuniyaa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 09:57 GMT]
A fire at Poonthoaddam Refugee Camp in Vavuniyaa town destroyed Wednesday 80 temporary sheds of internally displaced families. No injuries were reported in the fire reported around 11:00 a.m., according to the Police. Last month, on 17th, a similar fire in the same refugee camp completely destroyed nearly 100 sheds.
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Resettling IDPs in Kiraan indefinitely postponed

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 13 August 2008, 00:07 GMT]
The resettlement of internally displaced families from Muruththanai village in Kiraan, Koralaipattu south, division in Batticaloa district, expected to take place Tuesday, 12 August, has been put off indefinitely due to tense situation in the area, sources said.
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