SINHALA GOVT RESTRICTS AID AGENCY ACCESS TO TAMIL IDP CONCENTRATION CAMPS!!! HAMPERING AID EFFORTS OF UN AND ICRC !!!

Govt. restricts aid agency access to Menik farm

By Poornima Weerasekara

The government, over the weekend, decided to limit the number of vehicles entering the Menik farm welfare village in Vavuniya, the main emergency shelter for the internally displaced, thus hampering the aid efforts of the UN and the ICRC.

“The government has restricted access rights of ICRC vehicles to Zone 2 of Menik farm. The ICRC has decided to suspend the distribution of essential supplies to the entire Menik farm welfare village, until the issue is resolved,” said ICRC Spokesperson Sarasi Wijeratne.

United Nations spokesperson Gordon Weiss also said that the government had imposed restrictions on UN vehicles entering Zones 1, 2, and 3 of the Menik farm welfare village.

“The restrictions have hampered aid efforts. We are currently negotiating with the government to resolve the issue,” he said; adding that the government had not given any reason for the sudden enforcement of restrictions.

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, however, said that the government’s decision to restrict the number of vehicles entering Menik farm was taken in the best interests of the IDPs themselves.

“We have received several complaints from the IDPs about excessive vehicle movement within the camps. The government has taken a decision to streamline the transportation of goods into the camps in a manner that does not inconvenience the camp inhabitants,” he said.

According to Mr. Samarasinghe, the new “transportation arrangements” that have not yet been finalized are not intended to limit access by aid agencies.

“The people in these camps have suffered quite considerably. They need some breathing space now,” he said.

He said that the government would step up its own relief efforts to make up for the shortages created, if any aid agency suspends its operations.

According to figures released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Menik farm housed 155,058 individuals as at May 18.

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