More than 63,000 civilians fled a Tamil Tiger-held area on Monday, after having been trapped by the on-going violence for months. Since the beginning of the year, more than 4,500 civilians have been killed. The video below, as well as the video provide at this link, show the devastating impact on civilians, displaced by the thousands.
MADRE has joined with Inform, a Sri Lankan human rights organization, to respond to this emergency. In 2004, after the tsunami created widespread destruction, MADRE joined with Inform to provide immediate relief and protection, as well as long-term psycho-social services.
We just sent out a message to our list, asking that people support our efforts to bolster Inform’s work. In that message, we explained:
Hundreds of civilian casualties are being reported daily, including those caused by internationally banned weapons such as cluster shells, napalm bombs and phosphorus bombs.
"With this latest surge in fighting, our greatest fear is that the worst is yet to come," said UNICEF's regional director for south Asia, Daniel Toole.
Once again - MADRE can, and must, help.
Most fleeing the conflict wind up in transit camps that aren't equipped to cope with this sudden influx of people. The UN has expressed concern about conditions in the camps, where poor sanitation and shortages of water will hasten the spread of disease, and where government and aid agencies face a major challenge in getting enough food to those arriving - many of whom, particularly children, are already showing signs of malnourishment.
Government officials say that until they can be sure they have weeded out all Tamil Tiger members among the civilians in the camps everyone will have to be detained. A small number of elderly people have been released, but the camps are still home to thousands of children, pregnant women and elderly people.
To find out more about this crisis, visit our website here. To donate, click here.
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