Muttur flood victims without adequate aid
[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 2004, 11:23 GMT]
The government in providing immediate flood relief has ignored several hundreds of victims in Muttur-Eachchilampathu division in Trincomalee district where more than three thousand families are displaced and over twenty villages were flooded not by torrential rain but with spill water of Minneriya tank, humanitarian groups in the district complained to civil authorities.
 Spill water from Minneriya tank in the Pollonnorawa district in the North Central Province with the opening of sluice gates which flooded more than twenty villages in Eachchilampathu division, down south of Trincomalee district is reported to be receding following the closure of spill gate of the tank by the irrigation authorities on representation made to them, sources said. However displaced families are still unable to return to their huts as they are still under water. They urgently need materials to rebuild their huts. But the government authorities are not taking any step in this regard, villagers said. "The normal procedure of the Social Services Department of the government is to provide cooked meals for three days to the victims of natural disaster. But it is sad to state that the government's Social Service Department has not even provided cooked meals for victims who sought refuge under trees and open space in high lands in Eachchilampathu division," said Mr.S.Elilan, LTTE's Trincomalee district Political Head, when he was contacted by TamilNet regarding the ground situation in the flood hit villages. International agencies such as UNICEF, UNHCR, ZOA and the ICRC are providing some relief to flood victims, which is not enough for a day. Local voluntary organizations such as Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), and Socio-Economic Development Organization in Trincomalee (SEDOT) are also in the field to provide essential items such as food, tents and cooking utensils to flood victims with available funds from well wishers locally and abroad, civil groups said.
|