More IDPs arrive from Vaharai

[TamilNet, Saturday, 16 December 2006, 03:42 GMT]
Around 4000 people from nearly 1000 families from Vaharai area in the LTTE controlled Batticaloa district arrived to military controlled area on Thursday and Friday and the authorities made arrangements to house them in the villages of Mankerny, Vinayagapuram, Kiran, Chenkalady and Savukkady, S. Punniyamoorthy, the District Secretary of Batticaloa said.

"The exact figure of the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) is yet to be calculated as they keep on coming via various routes. We are providing them meals," he further said.

Meanwhile, 150 families who had arrived via Valaichchenai, were settled in 150 temporary huts erected by the Non Governmental Organization (NGO), N.R.C. in Savukkady in Eravur Pattu (Chenkalady) division in the available of State land in the area.

Sarvothaya, another NGO, arranged the IDPs drinking water and sanitation facilities. S. Punniyamoorthy along with S. Paskaran, the Divisional Secretary (DS) of Eravur Pattu division, visited them Thursday.

Arrangements are underway to house 100 more families out of 500 at Vivekananda Vidyalayam in Kaluwankerny, S. Paskaran said.

Koralai Pattu North (Vaharai) Divisional Secretariat functions temporarily in a part of Koralai Pattu (Valaichchenai) Divisional Secretariat in Valaichchenai and the Divisional Secretary S. Kiritharan executes his duties from there. It is reported that people from Vaharai can approach the DS for their needs.

So far, more than 4000 IDP families, who had displaced from Trincomalee district due to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) attacks and stayed in Vaharai division, have come to the military controlled area in Batticaloa district. They have been given shelter in government schools and temporary refugee camps.