Another batch of Vanni IDPs in Jaffna to be released

[TamilNet, Thursday, 13 August 2009, 15:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka government has announced that it will release the second batch of Vanni Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) held in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detainment camps in Jaffna district soon, sources in Jaffna said. The first batch of Vanni IDPs released with much publicity by Basil Rajapakse and Minister Douglas Devananda recently in Duraiappa Stadium are left without any help from the government or any other organization, local NGOs said.

3,112 persons of 1057 families of Vanni IDPs released in the first batch are now living in makeshift shelters constructed with some of the tents provided by UNHCR.

The above persons are left to suffer without food, shelter and clothing and depend on the mercy of neighbours and relatives, the NGO sources said.

Releasing IDPs without any constructive plans to find them livelihood and leaving them on their own to fend without providing food and other basic needs is not what they need now, they further said.