Child Protection Desk at HRCSL Vavuniya office

Shirley WIJESINGHE

A Child Protection Desk targeting displaced children was officially opened by the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL ) in its Vavuniya regional office yesterday.

Spokesman for the HRCSL said " this desk has been operating for the past two weeks but its official opening was held yesterday coinciding with World Children's Day." It is estimated that more than 200,000 persons have been displaced and they will arrive to Vavuniya. It is believed that there are more than 40,000 children among those recently displaced, the HRCSL said.

The HRCSL estimates the armed conflict has internally displaced more than 500,000 persons, including many children. Due to displacement, the mechanisms for the protection and development activities of the children have stagnated. In addition, children are being exposed to abuse, trafficking, labour and specially to the threat of becoming child soldiers, sources revealed. The HRCSL desk will receive complaints of child rights violations, facilitating the activities targeting protection and development of children, appointing a special ambassador for displaced children in coordinating between children and their guardians and developing the child protection network through the creation of a new web link in the project website including relevant universal norms and standards.

If any issue regarding conflict affected internally displaced children could be referred to the project via following contacts. Website www.idpsrilanka.lk, E-mail [email protected], Telephone 0112662587 and Address 65/1, Muththiyapillai Avenue , Ward Place, Colombo 07.