7500 flee homes due to SLA attacks in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 18:34 GMT]
Within the last four days, 7500 persons belonging to 1400 families have moved into government controlled area from Kiran, Chenkalady and Vavunativu Regional Secreatary divisions in Batticaloa district, Sundaram Arumainayagam, Batticaloa Government Agent (GA) said.

2500 persons of 525 families from Thihilivettai, Ayiladivettai, Kudumbimalai and Pulipaianthakal in Kiran Regional division are staying in their friends' and relatives' houses.

4500 persons from more than 800 families from Vepavettuvan, Koduwamadu and Iralakulam in Chenkalady Regional division have moved into government controlled areas.

Of these, 1150 persons from 300 families are located at the camp in Palacholai and the rest are staying with relatives and friends.

More than 500 persons of 120 families from Vavunativu Regional division lodged at Veechu Kalmunai school until Sunday have been transferred to the temporary camp at Kokuvil in Sathurukondan.

The GA said that though it is difficult to asses the right number of displaced persons immediately as some of displaced are staying with their friends and relatives. However, each Grama Sevaka division is compiling a list of the displaced who have moved in the respective divisions.

Nearly 67,000 people have, in the past two months, been displaced from their villages, because of the unrelenting attacks by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and are lodged in temporary camps in the government controlled areas in Batticaloa district, sources related to Batticaloa Secretariat said.

Vavunathivu Regional division did not function last week as the staff were unable to report for duty due to the rocket fire by the SLA.

People continue to flee from their homes in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to government held area because of the continuing attacks by the SLA in the last two months.