SL: VANNI: FATE OF IDP CHILDREN!!!

December HR Release:

IDP children
Close to 55,000 school children from 190 schools have displaced in Vanni since 2006. Most of the displaced schools have combined with the schools that have not displaced and are functioning. Some are operating two sessions each session with reduced hours. Few schools have stopped functioning after displacement.
The children have also lost their school text books, exercise books, stationary and school bags in the massive displacement. 300,000 exercise books and other stationary items must be supplied to these children so that they can continue their education. Their parents having lost their livelihood are not in a position to purchase these items for the children. In a meeting held in Vavuniya the Directors of Education from Vanni have also appealed for any excess text books that are stagnating in Vavuniya to be transported for the use of the IDP children in Vanni.

Though the displaced schools managed to shift most of the movable property there is extreme shortage of class room space. Even sheds have not been built yet for these schools to cater for the sudden increase in student numbers. Additional toilets are also desperately needed in these combined schools which are finding that their enrollments have instantly doubled. The Directors of Education have estimated that an additional 300 toilets are needed for these schools.

A model toilet to be built with wooden floor and empty barrels sunk in the ground as pit have been approved by the local health authorities in the absence of cement which is blocked by the Sri Lanka Government. Indeed the Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu District Secretariats have estimated that the IDP population needs 5280 such toilets to maintain hygiene. Without this step before the onset of the rainy season, the IDPs will be in dire health risk.

Many of the IDP children are still living under tarpaulins in muddy areas. The District Secretariats have requested 20,000 temporary shelters to be built of pipes and thatched roofs each costing just LKR 40,000.00. They are still awaiting the delivery of these while the children live and sleep in muddy ground and without adequate toilets.


28 October 2008

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Last update:
October 28, 2008 05.05 GMT

Civilians
Killed - 2341
Displaced - 340,000
Disappeared -1123
Blacked out
Evicted - 300,000

68 old father and his son died in SLA artillery attack
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Blowing bridges to stop food to Tamil IDPs
The map shows in yellow, the route taken by the UN food convoy consisting of 51 food trucks with one week food for the 200,000 IDPS which entered Vanni on 3 October 2008. That was the only UN food convoy to enter Vanni since the UN and other international agencies were ordered out of Vanni on 11 September 2008 by the Sri Lankan Government.
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Tamileelam reach out to the extended hand of support of Tamilnadu
The Political Head of the LTTE, B Nadesan, issued a statement that symbolized the Tamileelam nation reaching out to the extended hand of support of Tamilnadu.
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IDP children

Two killed and seven wounded in an air strike

IDP voices – Vijayakumar Ravichandran

Destruction of the heart of Tamileelam civil administration

Three killed and seven wounded in a Claymore attack.

(courtesy:ltteps.org)