No food shipment was sent to the safety zone after 02 April. Even the earlier supplies were pathetically inadequate. The World Food Programme (WFP) shipment that already set sailing with 1,500 MT food items and was scheduled to arrive in Mu’l’li-vaaykkaal has been diverted to Jaffna in the last minute by the Colombo government, citing ‘security reasons’, civil officials inside the zone told TamilNet Saturday. People starve beyond imagination, subsisting just on fish and prawns caught amidst high risk of SLA attack and eating them semi-raw, roasted in fire, as there is no cooking oil.
For the population concentrated in a small area with a limited coastal belt, the supply is too meagre. Rockets and rounds deliberately fired from naval craft prevent them from fishing in the sea. There were at least 20 Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) attack crafts, which engaged in firing towards civilians along the coast and damaging boats, TamilNet correspondent in the safety zone reported Saturday.
There is no stock of rice at all. People manage eating only dhal and depend gruel supplied by the TRO. There is a high risk of starvation deaths among children and elderly, medical sources said.
Everyone is asking for the arrival of ship and look upon the UN for support, medical sources added.
On earlier occasions, both sides used to pre-arrange unloading food, but this time, the government sabotaged it. The ICRC, when contacted by the officials, was indefinite on the issue of shipment of food, civil sources further said.
Around 165,000 civilians are staying concentrated in the safety zone, according to a press statement issued by the LTTE political division, Friday.
Colombo bombarded safety zone 25 times in four sorties on Saturday.
Chronology:
Toddler has to subsist on gruel
For the population concentrated in a small area with a limited coastal belt, the supply is too meagre. Rockets and rounds deliberately fired from naval craft prevent them from fishing in the sea. There were at least 20 Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) attack crafts, which engaged in firing towards civilians along the coast and damaging boats, TamilNet correspondent in the safety zone reported Saturday.
There is no stock of rice at all. People manage eating only dhal and depend gruel supplied by the TRO. There is a high risk of starvation deaths among children and elderly, medical sources said.
Everyone is asking for the arrival of ship and look upon the UN for support, medical sources added.
On earlier occasions, both sides used to pre-arrange unloading food, but this time, the government sabotaged it. The ICRC, when contacted by the officials, was indefinite on the issue of shipment of food, civil sources further said.
Around 165,000 civilians are staying concentrated in the safety zone, according to a press statement issued by the LTTE political division, Friday.
Colombo bombarded safety zone 25 times in four sorties on Saturday.
Little fish caught by risking life, but fetches 1,200 rupees per kg
Standing in line in hot sun for 100 grams sugar and 50 grams tea
Children waiting for TRO supplied gruel
Only Dhal to cook
Chronology:
16.04.09 UN and IC signal civilian carnage
12.04.09 Plight of babies born and unborn
09.04.09 Carnage continues in Vanni
06.03.09 Acid test for international actors
04.03.09 ICRC worker killed in SLA shelling
02.03.09 Hunger claims lives in Vanni
01.02.09 Shelling hits hospital, ICRC shocked
27.01.09 Norway breaks silence, condemns war
18.01.09 Vanni civilians under deadly siege