Violence threatens safety of children - UNICEF
GENEVA: The UNICEF has warned that the escalating violence has
threatened the safety of the children in the North and East.
The UNICEF statement:
Sri Lankan children in areas most affected by recent clashes are
paying a high price for the escalating tension in the island. Thousands
of children are still displaced from their homes following the recent
violence in Trincomalee District in which six children were killed and
others injured or severely traumatized.
UNICEF knows of at least nine children in other districts, including
Jaffna and Vavuniya, who have been killed or injured in violent
incidents. Some were victims of shooting while others lost their lives
from attacks using grenades or claymore mines.
Schools in many areas remain suspended because of insecurity or
occupation by families who have fled their homes. Violence and
insecurity have also forced hundreds of families to abandon their
livelihoods increasing their vulnerability and dependence on
humanitarian assistance.
The ongoing violence underlines the urgency for the parties to the
conflict to take immediate action to avoid slipping back into a state of
war. |