Poverty driving children to work in hotels, houses in East

[TamilNet, Thursday, 24 March 2011, 11:21 GMT]
Due to extreme poverty, over 3,250 children are working in houses and eating houses in the eastern province without attending schools. These children come from families affected by military conflict and natural disaster, according Provincial Education Minister Mr.Wimalaweera Dissanayake.

About 49,000 women have lost their husbands due to arrests, killing and abductions by armed groups and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).

Of these, about 30,000 women are less than 25-years old, according to the report of a Non-International Organization (NGO).

However, the Deputy Minister for Child Care and Women Affairs M.L.A.M. Hisbullah has said he had taken steps to provide livelihood assistance to these widows. But such assistance has not yet reached the war affected Tamil people in Tamil areas.

India and UN that are said to be financing such projects have not conducted any survey or released any report.

Dry ration relief issued by the World Food programme (WFP) of the UN to students has been stopped for the last four months. Hence the attendance of students in schools has dropped, according to reports of school and education authorities.