CSD findings on Northern Province deaths

Rasika Somarathna

The Census and Statistics Department (CSD) report, Enumeration of Vital Events (EVE) - 2011, records 22,329 deaths in the Northern Province due to all causes during 2005 to July 2009, the five years before the end of the conflict.

The CSD on Saturday released EVE – 2011, which contains important information concerning the population and vital events in the Northern Province which were not recorded since 1981 due to acts of terrorism in the province for three decades.

According to the report, the department records 22,329 deaths in Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts during 2005 – 2009.

The causes of deaths are categorized under natural deaths, other deaths and not stated ones. The natural deaths include deaths due to succumbing to disease, aging, due to natural disasters etc while other deaths include deaths due to accident, homicide and suicide, acts of terrorism etc.

The number of deaths due to natural causes stood at 9,341 while 11,032 were mentioned as other deaths.

The majority of deaths had occurred in 2009 (11,172) with 7,934 deaths falling into the other deaths category and 2,523 deaths due to natural causes with 715 stated as not known. The highest number of deaths in 2009 were recorded from Jaffna (3,677), Kilinochchi (3,326), Mullaithivu (2,019), Vavuniya (1,542) and Mannar (608).

In relation to the total size of the population, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi districts have shown higher deaths during 2009, the report stated.

The report also states that however 71 percent of the deaths that occurred in 2009 are reported as being due to extraordinary circumstances but a majority of the deaths, prior to and beyond that, are reported to be the results of natural causes. The census did not differentiate deaths as to whether they were LTTE combatants or civilians.

The report released on Saturday also debunks estimates made by certain elements which put the death toll during the final stages of the conflict over 40,000.

The report records 71,201 total deaths, both due to natural causes and other from 1982 to July 2011. From the total deaths, 6,352 has been recorded as untraceable and 3,198 as not known. The highest number of deaths during the period has been recorded from Jaffna district (42,410).

The EVE – 2011 also records 4,156 cases of untraceable persons reported during 2005-2009 and of these, a majority 63 percent of cases were reported to have been last sighted in 2009. “However it should be noted that due to the conditions that prevailed in this province, there had always been a degree of untraceability among the people throughout and the causes of such untraceability may be due to natural disasters like the tsunami as well,” the report added.

These numeration of vital events in the Northern Province was carried out by the CSD from June 10 to August 15, 2011. The EVE -2011 covered the entire Northern Province.