The civilian population in the Vanni continues to suffer as a result of government restrictions on food and medicines. Hospitals are unable to accept patients. Reports say 216,000 people were treated in 1999 in Kilinochchi hospital, 31,617 for malaria, and 186 people died, including 17 children.
In a letter to senior Army officers in mid-April, Vavuniya Health Services Director, Dr K Ilango said that malaria was spreading and drugs were urgently needed. Following a meeting with Vavuniya Government Agent K Ganesh, the Army permitted a lorry carrying medicines into the Vanni on 21 April with the assistance of UNHCR.
Although the Defence Ministry had permitted 45 different kinds of medicines, ICRC’s Harsha Gunawardena says that the Army allowed only 14. At a meeting on 28 April, international humanitarian agencies explained the difficult situation in the Vanni to the Health Ministry. The meeting decided to send a letter to the Defence Ministry urging action to send adequate medicines.
Vavuniya Army officers say that medicines were cut because LTTE cadre injured in the fighting in Jaffna were being treated in the Vanni. The Northern Province Health Department requested 20,000 aspirin tablets but only 2,000 were allowed. Press reports say over 80 patients suffering from Asthma, heart disease and diabetes left the hospital because of lack of medicines.
In Vavuniya, of 32 people who went missing in March, 20 were later released from Army custody. Nine remain in detention and three have disappeared. Vavuniya Human Rights Commission (HRC) Co-ordinator S Sritharan says that HRC officers have been denied access to the police Terrorist Investigation Division (TID), where it is alleged a number of people are detained.
The HRC has received complaints that four youths went missing in late April. The Army arrested eight youths, including student P Kartheepan, 16, also in late April, during a search operation in Sastrikoolankulam. M Chandran, 17, was abducted from his home in Vepankulam on 25 April by unidentified persons.
The LTTE attacked Arawantalawa police station, 12 miles west of Vavuniya town, on 14 April killing a Home Guard. Four soldiers who searched the area, were killed by a landmine. Suspected Tiger cadre attacked PLOTE MP Y Balachandran’s house in Pandarikulam on 27 April. Mr Balachandran was away from his home at the time of the attack. According to the police, this was the fourth attempt on his life.