Govt. well equipped to provide food to Jaffna

Rafik Jalaldeen

COLOMBO: The Government is fully capable of supplying essential food and other items to the people in the Jaffna peninsula sans any delay. The Government is also taking measures to bring down the prices of food and other items by 60 per cent in the North, Essential Services Commissioner S.B. Divaratne said.

Addressing the press on the role of essential services in Jaffna, Divaratne said the Government is working hard to supply essential items to civilians in Jaffna.

Since the A9 road was closed on August 11, 2006, the Government has so far sent 152,127 Metric Tons of food and non food items to the Jaffna Peninsula by sea, he said.

“The Government had to face many barriers and challenges to deliver goods to Jaffna civilians consequent to the LTTE attack in Muhamalai and the closure of the A9 road. The only way to supply food was through the A9 and it had to be diverted through sea or air,” he said.

The Jaffna population was mainly dependent on private traders and they ceased their functions due to LTTE threat. The civil population also felt that they were isolated from the South, he said.

“So we had to take immediate measures to supply essential food items to a population of 633,163 in Jaffna and establish an essential food supplying centre” Divaratne said.

“Vessel owners were not willing to come forward to transport goods by sea, due to fear of LTTE threats, non provision of assistance by the ICRC, inclement weather and other causes,” he added.

“Ensuring a steady supply and chartering vessels were a priority. Initially we had three vessels to transport goods to Jaffna and now we have nine cargo vessels and two more vessels are under consideration.

The required food and essential consumer items are around 33,000 MT per month and from available vessels we have capacity to transport around 26,980 MT,” Divaratne said.

The Government sent 340 assortment of goods to Jaffna in 91 voyages. “We have travelled 91 times carrying goods to Jaffna through the sea and 14 by air. This shows that there is no starvation or food shortages in the Jaffna Peninsula,” he added.

Replying to a question by whether Nedumaran will be allowed to bring food shipments to the Tamils in Jaffna, he said the Government is fully capable of supplying goods to civilians in Jaffna.

“We don’t need others to supply food to our people in Jaffna and we have efficient resources.

Since the A9 road was closed there were many international organisations who vowed to supply food but non except the World Food Programme came forward,” he said.

The Government is also distributing enough fuel and kerosene to Jaffna and Vanni. “We also provide other essential services such as health, education, transport, power, communication and postal service,” Divaratne said.

Divaratne said during his visit to Jaffna, he was informed by the Jaffna people that they wanted fertiliser for cultivation and animals for farming.

Around 2450 MT fertiliser were sent last night and 40,000 bags of cement will be sent for construction, he added.