Jaffna flood victims struggle without relief

[TamilNet, Saturday, 13 November 2004, 14:25 GMT]
Hundreds of families affected by flood in Jaffna district due to torrential rain are not provided with any relief by the central government and provincial council authorities, civil group activists complained Saturday.

Camps and welfare centres sheltering several hundreds internally displaced families as they are not allowed to resettle in the houses and lands are located in high security zones in Valigamam north are inundated with floodwater. Several IDP families are now temporarily given shelter by their relatives. Others live camps and welfare centres surrounded by floodwater, sources said.

Affected families said that officials related to social services department have not visited their places. No action has been taken by relevant authorities to provide relief to them, sources said.

Civil groups have made a request to the Jaffna district secretariat to take immediate steps to provide relief to flood victims as they are suffering without provisions and other essential items, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization ( TRO ) has provided relief to few families residing in suburbs of Jaffna town.