The government says a new registration process to begin soon will help ease restrictions on the freedom of movement of thousands of civilians who have fled the fighting and now live in camps.
More than 57,000 civilians are in 29 centres in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mannar districts in the north.
“They will get an identity card after registration,” Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management, said. “We want to have a transparent process to account for all those who have come [into government-controlled areas].”
Samarasinghe said each internally displaced person (IDP) would be registered and issued with an identity card. “We can assure their freedom of movement gradually, after their identity is established,” he said.
Rajiva Wijesingha, secretary to the ministry, said the government was also making arrangements to reunite families separated while fleeing the fighting.
Samarasinghe said restrictions on the free movement of IDPs were down to security considerations. “The problem we are facing now is security related and we cannot disregard these considerations,” he said.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said in a statement on 31 March: “UNHCR welcomes recent initiatives by the Government of Sri Lanka to start the release of persons with special needs [some 371 elderly persons have already been released] and begin reunifying separated families inside the IDP sites."
UNHCR said those with identity papers should be allowed the freedom to move. “The agency calls for greater freedom of movement for IDPs who have completed the screening and registration process and have been issued with the relevant identification card. Once the security situation is stabilised, IDPs should be released as soon as possible to host families, which is the preferred option for accommodation, once the screening process is complete.”
Samarasinghe said the administration of the camps had been handed over to the Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services.
Dire conditions
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the situation of the civilians within the areas of combat in the Vanni Pocket in the northern Mullaithivu District was grave.
“Their medical condition is often extremely serious,” said Martin Hermann, an ICRC surgeon, referring to conditions in a “safe zone” declared by the government at the eastern edge of the combat zone.
“Many patients need to have a limb amputated because of a shrapnel injury. We also treat injuries to other parts of the body, sometimes to remove shrapnel. I have seen many patients with heavily infected wounds, sometimes in the area where the amputation is required,” he said.
International relief agencies estimate that between 150,000 to 200,000 civilians remain trapped within areas of fighting, while the government places that figure at around 70,000.
The ICRC has so far evacuated over 6,600 injured and sick civilians and care-givers from the combat zone by ferry since 10 February. Hermann said ICRC staff had treated more than 1,900 evacuees.
Samarasinghe said the government expected more civilians to flee the fighting to government-controlled areas behind army lines.
More than 57,000 have crossed the line of fire since January and 7,000 had fled in the last week of March, he said.
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More than 57,000 civilians are in 29 centres in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mannar districts in the north.
“They will get an identity card after registration,” Mahinda Samarasinghe, Minister of Human Rights and Disaster Management, said. “We want to have a transparent process to account for all those who have come [into government-controlled areas].”
Samarasinghe said each internally displaced person (IDP) would be registered and issued with an identity card. “We can assure their freedom of movement gradually, after their identity is established,” he said.
Rajiva Wijesingha, secretary to the ministry, said the government was also making arrangements to reunite families separated while fleeing the fighting.
Samarasinghe said restrictions on the free movement of IDPs were down to security considerations. “The problem we are facing now is security related and we cannot disregard these considerations,” he said.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said in a statement on 31 March: “UNHCR welcomes recent initiatives by the Government of Sri Lanka to start the release of persons with special needs [some 371 elderly persons have already been released] and begin reunifying separated families inside the IDP sites."
UNHCR said those with identity papers should be allowed the freedom to move. “The agency calls for greater freedom of movement for IDPs who have completed the screening and registration process and have been issued with the relevant identification card. Once the security situation is stabilised, IDPs should be released as soon as possible to host families, which is the preferred option for accommodation, once the screening process is complete.”
Samarasinghe said the administration of the camps had been handed over to the Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services.
Photo: Contributor/IRIN  |
| Most of the IDPs are staying in government-run camps in and around the northern town of Vavuniya |
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said the situation of the civilians within the areas of combat in the Vanni Pocket in the northern Mullaithivu District was grave.
“Their medical condition is often extremely serious,” said Martin Hermann, an ICRC surgeon, referring to conditions in a “safe zone” declared by the government at the eastern edge of the combat zone.
“Many patients need to have a limb amputated because of a shrapnel injury. We also treat injuries to other parts of the body, sometimes to remove shrapnel. I have seen many patients with heavily infected wounds, sometimes in the area where the amputation is required,” he said.
International relief agencies estimate that between 150,000 to 200,000 civilians remain trapped within areas of fighting, while the government places that figure at around 70,000.
The ICRC has so far evacuated over 6,600 injured and sick civilians and care-givers from the combat zone by ferry since 10 February. Hermann said ICRC staff had treated more than 1,900 evacuees.
Samarasinghe said the government expected more civilians to flee the fighting to government-controlled areas behind army lines.
More than 57,000 have crossed the line of fire since January and 7,000 had fled in the last week of March, he said.
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This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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