Govt. to send food to uncleared areas in Vakarai

by Shanika Sriyananda

The government will send a stock of essential food items to uncleared areas in Vakarai, where over thousands of people lack access to humanitarian assistance, the Government Agent Batticaloa said.

The GA Sundaram Arumainayaham told the 'Sunday Observer that discussions with the armed forces are taking place to send necessary food items to uncleared areas in Vakarai.

According to Arumainayaham, over 9,506 people belonging to 2,616 families are trapped in uncleared areas in Vakarai.

He said that if the ground was set, the stocks of food items to Vakarai would be sent next week. "The international humanitarian agencies are having discussions with the LTTE to get access to these areas, where the elderly, sick and small children suffer due to shortage of food and medicine. Infant milk powder will also be sent", he said.

The GA said that one government doctor had been treating the sick and elderly people in Vakarai and steps to provide health care for these people would be discussed with the Provincial Deputy Director of Health. "We plan to send necessary medicine through ICRC", he said.

Meanwhile, the GA said that the distribution would be done with the assistance of the Grama Sevaka and other remaining officials to make sure that the stocks would not reach the LTTE.