Government geared to meet Vanni exodus

Manjula FERNANDO
 

In an interview with the Daily News, Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, said while outlining preparations to face a possible mass exodus of IDPs from Vanni the State will ensure relief to IDPs in uncleared areas. Convoys will have to take different routes when the operations intensify on the Vanni front, the Minister said.

Q: Fighting is gathering momentum in Vanni and the civilians have started to come to cleared areas braving LTTE threats. What are the preparations in place to face a challenge of a mass exodus? 

A: Contingency plans have already been drawn up and put in place. We have identified Vavuniya as the ‘Receiving Hub’ The GA’s office there is geared to accommodate up to 200,000 IDPs from Vanni. From last week, we have seen quite a rapid increase of IDPs coming to Vavuniya and Mannar. 

I am expecting this to gather even more momentum. The IDPs are sheltered at Dharmapuram, Vishvamadu and Pudukuduirippu. It is quite a long trek to Vavuniya but once the places are cleared and brought under troops’ control the entry/exit points will also be shifted to give civilians easy access to cleared areas. The entry point at Omanthai has now been shifted by about 30 kilometers to Nedunkerni and the ICRC desk along with it. This will be pushed further up, close to the IDP camps in uncleared areas. 

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe Pix by Saman Sri Wedage

As we gain more control the ICRC will also have to move their entry exit points. There would also be facilities provided in Government controlled areas before they come to Vavuniya. 

IDPs coming from these areas to Vavuniya have taken a bit of time because the LTTE is not allowing them to move freely. Even now the LTTE restricts their movement and insists that IDPs must also move with them so that they could use them as a human shield. 

The LTTE should be identified as the biggest human rights violators. The Army is trying to liberate these people from the LTTE to let them lead a free life like their brothers and sisters in the South. This is what the people must understand. The Government and the Forces are not fighting the civilian population. 

Q: What is the progress of the Humanitarian assistance in uncleared areas? 

A: We have drawn up a contingency plan. GAs have been strengthened to look after the IDPs. In addition, UN agencies with the facilitation by the Government are continuously assisting the State to look after the IDPs in uncleared areas. At the moment we are grappling with the shelter material, we have opted for cadjan roofing, the easiest to procure and bio-degradable. We cannot send in material like metal that can be used by the LTTE for destructive purposes. We are now in the process of organising plastic roofing sheets. The UNHCR has agreed to help us with this. In the next few days we are hopeful of sending them to IDP settlements. 

We have adequate supplies of food and medication. The water and sanitation issue is looked after by the Government Agents. UNICEF has come forward to facilitate safe drinking water to schools once they re-open for the new term. 

Relatively speaking, in terms of providing relief services, Sri Lanka should be identified as a success story rather than a failure. Of course there are challenges. 

Q: By now how many IDPs have come to cleared areas? According to official statistics how many people are displaced in the Vanni?

A: There are 659 IDPs sheltered in Vavuniya. There are more in Mannar. I am a bit careful about telling numbers in the uncleared areas because we know by past experience, especially in the East, that the numbers are being inflated for obvious reasons. For example The GA said there were 41,000 people in Vakarai in the Eastern province when the humanitarian operations were taking place. But when the barriers broke and people came out there were only 14,000. So, the numbers in the Vanni as well, cannot be taken as a correct figure. But what we do is, to honour the numbers the GAs have submitted and commit ourselves to send in supplies to cover that, not just food but medical and other supplies as well. We are probably the only country that feeds the enemy we are fighting. Q: What is your stand on the comments expressed by UN Representative on Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Walter Kalin, the humanitarian assistance sent to Vanni displaced is inadequate?

A: In fact I am in the process of sending a reply. Kalin has not been updated on all things, we have been doing, because otherwise he would not have made such a statement. We are putting on paper all of the food, medical and shelter material we have already sent and also assure him that adequate supplies will continue to be sent. As for his other assertions on security and access issues, the Foreign Ministry is in the process of replying to Kalin to brief him of the necessity of the security measures.

 Q: What are the countries that have come forward to assist Sri Lanka with the humanitarian supplies other than India? 

A: Indian assistance was a bilateral effort which was executed through the ICRC, facilitated by GAs. More countries have extended their support through INGOs and the UN organisations.