Email 
Print 
The fighting in Sri Lanka between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels has so far claimed more than 70,000 lives.
Thousands of families have been forced to leave their homes rapidly as news of encroaching fighting reaches them. Many have had to move from a place of safety several times before reaching the camps. Thousands of people have become separated from family members along the way. Many are traumatised by violence they witnessed while fleeing. They are also worried about having to leave their land behind and how they will support themselves in the future. One woman, who arrived at the Menic Farm camp in Vavuniya on 23rd April, described her journey to a local relief worker. She tells how her sister-in-law was hit by a bullet as they ran. XShe was shouting and screaming with pain, but there was nothing we could do to help her. She said not to worry about her, but to try and save her children.’ Later the army said they had retrieved some bodies and they were allowed to go and see them. Her sister-in-law’s body was among them.
Christian Aid
The United Nations estimates that nearly
200,000 Sri Lankans have fled their
homes to escape the fighting between the
government and Tamil Tiger rebels. The
vast majority of these people are now
confined to refugee camps guarded by the
Sri Lankan army. This camp is surrounded
by a wire fence and those that reach the
camps are not allowed to leave.
REF:
Christian Aid
The tents provided by international
organisations are severely over-crowded
with three to four families living in
tents designed for just one family. The
extreme heat and humidity makes the
tents even more uncomfortable.
Organisations funded by
Christian Aid
are providing clothing, blankets and
mosquito nets to the hundreds of
families who are streaming into the
camps to escape the violence.
REF:
Christian Aid
There are children arriving at the camp
in a severely malnourished state, but no
therapeutic feeding has started yet. The
food ration for the adults is not
adequate either. This is exacerbated by
the fact there is insufficient space
provided for communal cooking. The
community kitchen is designed for 500
people but now provides food for between
1,200 and 1,700.
REF:
Christian Aid
The camp is already suffering from a
severe shortage of water. People have to
queue for 3-4 hours to fill water
buckets for drinking and washing. The
situation is expected to deteriorate
further because of inadequate water
supplies.
REF:
Christian Aid
There are also concerns that poor
drainage systems could lead to water-
logging in common areas, which is a
potential breeding ground for bacteria
and significantly increases the risk of
water-borne disease epidemics, like
cholera, breaking out.
REF:
Christian Aid
Christian Aid
is calling for freedom of movement to be
restored as soon as possible and for the
government to develop a time-table for
when people will be allowed to return to
their homes or be resettled.
REF:
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
