The United
Nations and the Red Cross appealed today to the Sri Lankan government to allow
them access to the refugee camps near the former conflict zone.
The United
Nations and the Red Cross appealed today to the Sri Lankan government to allow
them access to the refugee camps near the former conflict zone.
"This is
the kind of thing I saw after the genocide in Rwanda", said Andreas Lindner,
head of the German Red Cross team, after visiting a refugee camp near Vavuniy.
He further detailed that camps have counted at least 9,000 cases of hepatitis A
and 2,600 cases of chicken pox and cases of typhus. Many also suffer from
malnutrition and dehydration since there are limited supplies. While UN
High Commissioner for Refugees recommends 20 litres of water a day to ensure
well-being and good health, the refuges
are getting only two to three litres of water a day. Lindner also believes that
the number can reach up to 300,000 when the counting of all the camps are
closed.
The
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) announced to delay its aid
operations yesterday, due to the government's restrictions.
According
to Rishard Badurdeen, a member of the Sri Lankan parliament, access to the camps
is restricted because Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) combatants are
hiding among the refugees. He said, "There are some 3,000 LTTE cadres in the
camp and we haven't finished screening".
The three
Sri Lankan doctors, detained as propagandists of the LTTE by the
government, are now "handed over" to the police, said the Sri Lankan Minister of Disaster Management and
Human Rights Mahinda Samarasinghe. He added, "The Criminal Investigation
Department (CID) has issued detention orders for the three doctors and
investigations have commenced about possible collaboration with the LTTE".
