Caritas-HUDEC Situation Report on Wanni

by Caritas-Human Development Centre, October 21, 2008

                                          Situation  Report

Centre: -               Caritas-HUDEC, Wanni

Date: -                    On 21st October 2008

The people, who were displaced from Kilinochchi, find it difficult to live in the open and barren lands.  People living under trees and in the fields and on the roadsides need adequate shelter to protect themselves from rain and sun, especially now that the monsoon has set in. Hence, the need of Tarpaulin sheets is greatly felt, at least to give the people some kind of shelter.

Urgent need for Temporary shelters

Despite providing temporary shelters for these IDPs for the last few months, their urgent need is not being fulfilled successfully by anybody.  It has been brought to light that the valuable lives of the displaced people are in real mess.

Scarcity of food         

Although the WFP have supplied food for the IDPs, it looks that the provisions given are not adequate for the people to satisfy their basic need. Though the WFP brought food items to Wanni, one wonders why the particular item of sugar was not one among them. Due to this, for the past two or three weeks sugar was not distributed for the IDPs by the cooperative shops.

With more than two hundred thousand people forced to live in very limited areas, water sanitation has become a huge problem and that should be immediately solved to avoid health hazards. Drinking water is yet another problem for which suitable arrangements should be made. Supply of drinking water by bowsers only cannot meet the demand adequately. Providing more tube wells may help to solve the problem.

The terrain now occupied by the people is mostly infested with snakes and other poisonous insects. We have reports of more than 120 people being treated for snakebite. People especially children living in congested areas are easily susceptible to malaria, dysentery, and other infectious diseases.

Only a few schools are there to cater to the thousands and thousands of displaced school children, and these schools are over-crowded, within a limited space, without classrooms, furniture and other essential facilities, such as, toilets, drinking water, etc.

Purchase of fuel has become difficult, because of limited supply and of its high cost. The price of essential items, even of vegetables, fish, chilies, onions and other ingredients needed for cooking are going up day by day.

Due to crowded roads with people and vehicles, accidents, even fatal accidents, are rampant, especially when aerial surveillance and aerial military attacks take place. Providing of way side bunkers may help in some way.

Appeal:

We appeal for funds to provide urgently food, milk powder, temporary shelters, especially timber and tarpaulin sheets, tube wells, stationery items for school children, medicine, drinking water containers,

Details of Bank Account

Name of Bank: -                       Commercial bank, Vavuniya.

Name of Account Holder: -      Director, Human Development Centre – Vanni, Kilinochchi

Account No.: -                         8610031907   

Thanking you.

Rev. Fr. T. R. Vasanthaseelan,
Director,
Caritas-HUDEC- Wanni,
Kilinochchi