2nd lead:

External aid yet to reach Vanni, 3 000 still missing in Mullaitivu

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 December 2004, 15:49 GMT]
No external aid was received until Monday afternoon to assist thousands of people injured and rendered homeless by the Tsunami in the coastal parts of the Vanni region and Southern Jaffna, a spokesman for the Tamils’ Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) said. The Political Division of the Liberation Tigers convened an urgent meeting on Monday with international NGOs, local aid agencies and senior officials to assess the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis and to organize and enhance urgent relief and rescue measures in the Tsunami hit areas.

Until Monday evening 6 PM, 720 bodies have been recovered in Mullaitivu. Of these 256 bodies were located Monday. 3000 people are missing in Mullaitivu. 1386 injured persons from Mullaitivu are being treated by LTTE's medical units and by Centre for Health Care and by TRO volunteers. Displaced people from Mullaitivu are located at 16 different public places (mostly schools) in Puthukudiyiruppu area. TRO is delivering cooked meal to the displaced people.



In Vadamaradchi East, 300 people are still missing. 287 bodies were recovered Monday. 489 persons from Vadamaradchi East are being treated in Kilinochchi Hospital.

Many officials from international NGOs, including UNHCR, UNICEF, ICRC, UNDP and the Government Agents of Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Kilonochchi and the Additional GA for Vavuniya took part in the LTTE organised meeting Monday.

Many local aid agencies and representatives of Tamils’ Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) participated.

Two committees, one for Vadamaradchi East and one for Mullaitivu were formed for making immediate need assessments, an LTTE Peace Secretariat official said.

Fifty six villages have been completely devastated by the Tsunami along the northeastern coast, TRO sources told TamilNet.



According to details given by TRO early Monday morning, 11 417 persons injured by the Tsunami in Northeast, were admitted to hospitals in the coastal sectors of the Northeast, according to TRO officials. More than half a million have been displaced in the districts of Jaffna, Mullaithivu, Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Amparai.

A review of the crisis covering 18 hours from Sunday to Monday afternoon done by the TRO states that 3800 persons have been found injured so far in Mullaithivu, 3400 in Trincomalee, 1800 in Vadamaradchi East and 2100 in Batticaloa.

The initial 18 hour overview of TRO suggested 1 37 000 displaced in Trincomalee, 1 18 000 in Batticaloa, 1 10 000 in Jaffna, 97 000 in Mullaitivu and 20 000 in Amparai.

More details are expected to be made available Tuesday by the committees appointed for requirement assessment, sources in Kilinochchi said.