Foodstuffs flood Kilinochchi

Govt continues to send essentials to the displaced Welfare camps in Vavuniya set up swiftly:

By Dhaneshi YATAWARA

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Sending essential items - food and non-food - is the main concern of the Government. With great difficulties the Government officials from top to bottom are involved in this long and strenuous relief work.

As the LTTE restricts the displaced people coming towards the cleared areas they are compelled to run away more towards the Northeastern side in the direction of Mullaitivu.

"We are catering to the new displaced people with assistance of the WFP. Most of the new IDPs are with a host family at the moment," District Secretary (GA) Ms. Charles told us during our visit to Vavuniya late last week.

Present situation

And as for the IDPs who are stranded in the uncleared areas there are six transit camps in the Vavuniya district where the escapees would be given shelter initially. "After registering them there, we will given them accommodation in the other three welfare camps," Charles said. The ground work for setting up welfare camps is already in progress. "I'm waiting for technical evaluations from the NGOs who agreed to assist these displaced people," Ms. Charles said. The three welfare camps are located at Menik Farm in Cheddikulam, Kalnatinakkulam, Karuwelpuliyakulam. More than 100 acre land of the Menik farm has been cleared and levelled.

"Safety of all these sites are assured by the security forces," she added.

According to the Assistant District Secretary, Kilinochchi based in Vavuniya in the coordinating office for Kilinochchi GA, told us the number of displaced people fluctuate day by day as they are trying to move more towards Mullaitivu area. The items sent by the Government through the Office of the Commissioner General for Essential Services are then distributed by the GA Kilinochchi with the assistance of volunteers. These items are sent to Multi Purpose Cooperative Society outlets.

The WFP is assisting the IDPs with issuing rice, flour, dhal, oil and sugar. WFP handles their own transportation facilities. The other items are transported by the GA's convoy.

On 23rd September five lorries loaded with food and another three with kerosene were sent to Kilinochchi and on 07 October, 8 lorries were sent in. The next convoy was getting ready to go on the 8 October while we were at the Omanthai entry/exit point. By afternoon all the lorries were allowed to proceed Kilinochchi after checking.

From September till 8 October, 865 metric tons of food and non food items were sent to Kilinochchi.

According to Mullaitivu Assistant District Secretary (AGA), Aarani Thevabalan said after the Government declaring Oddusuddan and Vishwamadu as safe zones with a radius of 10km, it encompasses Maritampattu and Pudukudiyiruppu areas as well.

On 2 October seven lorries went to Mullaitivu carrying 40 mt of sugar, 15.5 mt of flour, 8.109 mt of milk powder, 38.74 mt of other food items and 2.259 mt of non food items. On 6 October 10 lorries went in with two lorries carrying 17,550 liters of kerosene and eight lorries carrying 39 mt of sugar, 2.82 mt of milk powder, 72.145 mt of other food items and 16.527 mt of non food items. Normally a lorry can transport 10-12 mt of goods and 55-60 barrels of 210 litres. A normal bowser can transport 13,200 litres of kerosene.

From past to present

The Internally displaced people are categorised for administrative purposes into two, as old and new. Old IDPs are people who were displaced before 2006 February and the new IDPs are the people who were displaced after 2006 February. The Government through the ministries of resettlement and disaster relief services and the Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development provide facilities and relief items to the old IDPs. And the new IDPs are looked after mainly by the World Food Program and several other organisations. The WFP looks after their food requirements.

According to the data with the Ministry of Resettlement and Estate Infrastructure Development (as of June 30) 1655 families received dry rations while another set of 6492 IDP families living with relatives and friends received dry rations. 363 resettled families as well as 2068 economically affected families also received these relief food items. In Mullaitivu 587 families were given dry rations continuously by the ministry in addition to another 18,039 families living with relatives and friends. In Mannar, 377 families received dry rations through the Ministry while another 3681 families living with family and friends are also looked after as per the same set of data. 2068 economically affected families and 363 resettled families are also given the dry ration. In Vavuniya 1194 families in welfare camps receive these dry rations 11,331 families living with family and friends and 749 families resettled are receiving dry rations.

Safety assured

The Sri Lanka Army 56 division in charge of the Omanthai entry/exit point is extending their fullest support to make the checking more swift with their available human and material resources. They are equipped with high tech explosive and unauthorized item detectors and the Officers and soldiers are conducting this strenuous work without delaying the supply chain. So far the Sri Lanka Army did not attack the A9 road and kept it free but securing at the same time. "We never targeted the A9 road as we knew that would be the route for the civilians to evacuate the uncleared areas," the Vanni Security Forces Commander Major General Jagath Jayasooriya when we met him at the Vanni Security Forces Headquarters last week.