Tamils dying in Lanka camps: Refugee

Tamils in large numbers are dying in the refugee camps in Sri Lanka due to spread of epidemic. Hundreds of children, men and women have died of diarrhoea, vomiting and fever, a Sri Lankan Tamil, who reached Arichalmunai near Dhanushkodi said on Saturday.

Manivannan (35) of Adampan in Mannar district in Sri Lanka, his wife Regina (30), and their sons — Sudar (5) and Mukilan — reached Arichalmunai coast in the wee hours of Saturday.

At Dhanushkodi police station, Manivannan, who was grievously injured in a rocket attack during the Eelam war, told reporters that while he was in his house at Pokkalai near Mannar, the army shelled the area.

Due to the injuries in his left leg, he could not move about and was treated at Mathalam hospital. But, for want of drugs, he became lame.

He said that even though the war had ended in the island, Tamils could not live peacefully. There were three lakh inmates in the army refugee camp in Vavuniya living without basic amenities.

The water being supplied in the camps was not potable and due to these conditions many refugees have complaints of vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and other contagious diseases. Since there was no proper medical treatment, large number of inmates, including children, have died.

The future of the children in the camps was bleak, Manivannan added.

After interrogation by the intelligence officials, the family was sent to Mandapam camp.

LONE REFUGEE: Meanwhile, a lone refugee landed at Dhanushkodi on Friday.

Jeyaraj (55), of Kilinochi district, said that he had been ferried across to Dhanushkodi from Mannar after he gave the boatmen his 20 gram gold chain.

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