Mullaitivu’s senior state officer Government Agent (GA), S Sundaram says he is unable to provide relief to 5,000 refugees in the district and further cuts will worsen the situation, particularly when rains are hurting refugees who are without proper shelter. The 525 barrels of kerosene (the only fuel allowed) a month to Kilinochchi District has been reduced by 100 barrels.
In a mid-January appeal to the UN, the Vanni Citizens Committee said government and co-operative food stores are depleted and many displaced families have only one meal a day. The shortage of medicines has forced hospitals to issue only prescriptions and most patients have no money to buy medicines outside.
Reports say prices in the Vanni are five to ten times higher than in southern areas of Sri Lanka. Rice is sold between Rs 40 and Rs 50 a kilo, sugar Rs 100 a kilo and kerosene Rs 150 a litre. There is an acute shortage of children’s milk food. Shortage of doctors in hospitals continues and 800 more teachers are needed in the LTTE-controlled areas.
Ten people, including five security personnel were killed and over 70 were injured by a bomb in Vavuniya town’s post office on 27 January. Policemen and soldiers had gathered at the post office to send money to their families in southern Sri Lanka. The police suspect the LTTE.
A landmine killed six soldiers and wounded nine others on 15 January near Varikuttiyur on Vavuniya-Mannar road. Amnesty International says six armed men, suspected to be members of Tamil group PLOTE which is allied to the armed forces, abducted M Gajamugan, 19, from his home on the night of 30 January. The security forces have denied that Mr Gajamugan has been arrested.