News

In the past months civilians have been used as human shields by the Tamil Tigers. They have also come under countless attacks by the Sri Lankan military. Many of the IDPs have been injured and are in need of urgent medical care.

Hospitals in northern Sri Lanka can’t cope with the number of injured as this picture from a women’s ward in Puthumathalan hospital shows. Many are being treated on mats on the hospital floor.

There have been many pregnant women who have had to give birth in makeshift camps. There have been reports of women who have lost their babies because of the delay in getting medical attention. This is one of the luckier mothers who gave birth to twins in one of the displaced camps.

The government has imposed severe restrictions on international aid agencies working in the camps. Local community-based organisations, aid agencies and government agencies are struggling to get basic food and medicines out to the displaced. This picture shows mothers queuing for baby food for their infants but they were turned away as there were no stocks.

Children have been amongst the worst affected in the recent fighting. Because journalists and international organisations have not been allowed into the areas, details of civilian casualties cannot be independently verified. However, according to reports coming out of the battle zone more than 3 children have been killed per day.

Civilians who were trapped in the fighting had very little access to food. Malnutrition levels among children have risen sharply in the last months. According to some estimates at least 60 percent of the children in displaced camps are suffering from malnutrition.