Food crisis in Jaffna worsens

[TamilNet, Saturday, 01 September 2007, 21:35 GMT]
Contrary to pronouncements by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the government officials claiming that ship loads of food items are being sent to the North, an acute shortage of essential items prevails in the peninsula, civil society sources in Jaffna said.

Sugar which had normal retail value of Rs.77.00 per kilo is available only in the black market at three times the price. there Stocks have run dry at the Multi Purpose Co-operative Societies (MPCS).

Government authorities responded to the urgent request on sugar, and 500 Metric Tons of sugar sent to Jaffna by the cargo ship Ruhuna arrived Saturday and the distribution has commenced, sources in Jaffna said.

GoSL has failed to respond to repeated requests to send other essential items to Jaffna.

Most of the essential items including rice are hard to get in Jaffna, except in black market at exorbitant prices.