Three copies of the photograph of the applicant certified by the Grama Sevaka (Village Headman) should be attached to three copies of the application form which in turn must be attested by the Pradeshiya Sabha (regional council) office of the area. The Pradeshiya Sabha retains one copy.
The applicant must take the other two copies to the Army camp in the area to be certified by the officer-in-charge of the camp. The camp retains the second copy. The third copy must then be handed to the CAO. After the CAO issues a permit, a ticket to travel by ship to Trincomalee may be obtained at the office of the Pradeshiya Sabha. Local people say that this procedure may take weeks and sometimes months. More than 10,000 people have applied to the CAOs and are awaiting to travel out of Jaffna.
A bus service operates between Jaffna town and Point Pedro - where passengers board the ship. The passengers undergo security checks in Jaffna, Thellipalai and Point Pedro. The widows of the buses are covered during the 30-mile journey.
The LTTE control the Vanni and there are no road links to Jaffna through the region. The cargo ship Lanka Muditha is currently used for passenger service, which is irregular. A ticket costs Rs 600 ($7). There are only two toilets in the ship for 1,250 passengers and travel to Trincomalee may take up to 18 hours. In 1999, 27,500 people travelled by ship to the south and 16,000 arrived in the peninsula. More than 2,000 people are currently waiting at Trincomalee to go to Jaffna. Air services to Jaffna resumed on 17 November. Heli Tours operates one flight a day and only a few people can afford the air fare.
The suspension of the weekly services of the ICRC ship Jaya Gold in December affected people who are unable to obtain treatment in Jaffna due to restrictions on medicines. Jaya Gold carries patients from Jaffna to the south for urgent medical consultation, investigation and treatment. The ship also transports medicines and postal bags to Jaffna.