8722 Tamils languishing in Refugee camps
20 February 2004
A large number of refugees totalling 8722 living in 63 different camps, in various locations in eight Divisional Secretaries' divisions in the Jaffna peninsula in the war torn North Sri Lanka, are facing severe health hazards due to miserable sanitary conditions prevailing for want of basic amenities such as toilets, fresh water for drinking as well as water for ablution and bathing and minimum required shelters.
Very great extent of areas in the Jaffna Peninsula are still under the forceful occupation of the Sri Lankan security arm. Despite repeated and constant agitation of the displaced inhabitants the armed forces are obstinately continuing their aggressive occupation and thereby causing untold miseries to the innocent displaced residents languishing in the godforsaken refugee camps. It is appropriate to note here that the Sri Lankan state has not yet taken any sound step to remove the so called High Security Zones, where legitimate residences of the internally displaced are situated, and to facilitate resettlement. While the state has been negligent and indifferent to the displaced, the conditions prevailing in respect of sanitation and health in these 63 camps accommodating 2168 families have been deteriorating from bad to worse and are now in the worst of deplorable state. To cite a few instances, 102 of the 352 toilets have not been kept in good repair and they are today in a dilapidated condition beyond repair. Each of the remaining badly maintained toilets is serving as many as nine families at average.
In the case of water supply and service the shortage is very critical as a good number of the tube wells have gone out of use due to lack of upkeep. Only 83 tube wells are being used at present, each well serving an average of 105 displaced residents. The Agencies that provided these amenities out of humanitarian concern are unable to pay heed to the appeals for relief for the recovery of these amenities as they say they have not the required votes for such assistance.
The next instance of the sorry state in the living conditions of these poor displaced that arouses the sympathy of even the hardened heart is in respect of shelters. 624 of the 1793 shelters provided by the GOSL through local NGOs are very badly damaged through longtime use without the due upkeep. Of the number of shelters estimated to have been essentially needed based on the actual size of the displaced population that sought refuge, sixty have not yet been even constructed although it is now about to exceed as long a period as two years since the ceasefire coming into force. Hope sprang in the minds of these people that the state might resettle them in their native residences as the required number of shelters has not been constructed and the ceasefire also has been adhered to by both the parties, to an appreciable extent.
The people are no more hopeful in view of the parties contending over peace process hence the putting up of the required number of shelters and the mending of all damaged shelters and restoring water and toilet facilities in the several camps of the displaced are the most urgent and immediately pressing needs of the poor lot who are yet enduring in a state of insecurity and uncertainty of their future. It is further noted that beside these defective and short supplied facilities the minimum health services that should be made available even in remote hamlets are not to the reach of these displaced among whom there are pathetic cases of pregnant mothers, breast feeding mothers, dependant children and the unemployed who are liable for diseases and epidemics due to malnutrition and unsanitary conditions. There is not any state assistance reaching this poor lot nor has any step, to remove the armed forces to enable these displaced to resettle in their residential premises, been taken.
Qulle - lttepeacesecretariat
20 February 2004
A large number of refugees totalling 8722 living in 63 different camps, in various locations in eight Divisional Secretaries' divisions in the Jaffna peninsula in the war torn North Sri Lanka, are facing severe health hazards due to miserable sanitary conditions prevailing for want of basic amenities such as toilets, fresh water for drinking as well as water for ablution and bathing and minimum required shelters.
Very great extent of areas in the Jaffna Peninsula are still under the forceful occupation of the Sri Lankan security arm. Despite repeated and constant agitation of the displaced inhabitants the armed forces are obstinately continuing their aggressive occupation and thereby causing untold miseries to the innocent displaced residents languishing in the godforsaken refugee camps. It is appropriate to note here that the Sri Lankan state has not yet taken any sound step to remove the so called High Security Zones, where legitimate residences of the internally displaced are situated, and to facilitate resettlement. While the state has been negligent and indifferent to the displaced, the conditions prevailing in respect of sanitation and health in these 63 camps accommodating 2168 families have been deteriorating from bad to worse and are now in the worst of deplorable state. To cite a few instances, 102 of the 352 toilets have not been kept in good repair and they are today in a dilapidated condition beyond repair. Each of the remaining badly maintained toilets is serving as many as nine families at average.
In the case of water supply and service the shortage is very critical as a good number of the tube wells have gone out of use due to lack of upkeep. Only 83 tube wells are being used at present, each well serving an average of 105 displaced residents. The Agencies that provided these amenities out of humanitarian concern are unable to pay heed to the appeals for relief for the recovery of these amenities as they say they have not the required votes for such assistance.
The next instance of the sorry state in the living conditions of these poor displaced that arouses the sympathy of even the hardened heart is in respect of shelters. 624 of the 1793 shelters provided by the GOSL through local NGOs are very badly damaged through longtime use without the due upkeep. Of the number of shelters estimated to have been essentially needed based on the actual size of the displaced population that sought refuge, sixty have not yet been even constructed although it is now about to exceed as long a period as two years since the ceasefire coming into force. Hope sprang in the minds of these people that the state might resettle them in their native residences as the required number of shelters has not been constructed and the ceasefire also has been adhered to by both the parties, to an appreciable extent.
The people are no more hopeful in view of the parties contending over peace process hence the putting up of the required number of shelters and the mending of all damaged shelters and restoring water and toilet facilities in the several camps of the displaced are the most urgent and immediately pressing needs of the poor lot who are yet enduring in a state of insecurity and uncertainty of their future. It is further noted that beside these defective and short supplied facilities the minimum health services that should be made available even in remote hamlets are not to the reach of these displaced among whom there are pathetic cases of pregnant mothers, breast feeding mothers, dependant children and the unemployed who are liable for diseases and epidemics due to malnutrition and unsanitary conditions. There is not any state assistance reaching this poor lot nor has any step, to remove the armed forces to enable these displaced to resettle in their residential premises, been taken.
Qulle - lttepeacesecretariat
posted by Chandravathanaa @ 1:06 pm
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