The Eastern province has already been 'liberated 'from LTTE terrorism despite a few terrorist activities reported from time to time. Under the leadership of His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksa the Government has since launched a massive development program "Negenahira Navodaya" including coordinated mine clearing operations, road building programs, providing schools with accommodation , medical facilities, water and housing etc to enable the people to return safely and live peacefully in their homes without being in fear of their children being forcibly conscripted by the LTTE terrorists.
A similar 'humanitarian' program to eliminate terrorism was launched by the Security Forces to eliminate terrorism from the Wanni/ Mullaitivu areas in which many civilians have been displaced . It has been estimated that since October 2008, a total of nearly 200,000 civilians have been listed as internally displaced persons (IDP's)due to the ongoing 'humanitarian' operations conducted by the Security Forces in the Wanni area. Although there have been many allegations of 'starvation' and even 'genocide' against the Tamil community in particular, ground conditions have proved these allegations as incorrect and amounting to exaggeration. However, it should be noted that there have been no instances of anyone dying of starvation or even malnutrition , nor has any instances of epidemics of typhoid ,cholera and bowel diseases reported from the Wanni as is the case in Zimbabwe, Darfur, Sudan etc.
The Wanni operational area have been delayed and adversely affected by the recent heavy rains including a cyclone. This has not only adversely affected Troops movements but has also affected the daily lives of civilians. There is also the added reason of LTTE terrorists forcibly preventing them from leaving to safer areas to escape being used as 'human shields' against the advancing Troops. There are reports of the LTTE forcibly taking the food allocated to civilians for their own use and of instances when the LTTE used bags of rice and essential food items for their bunkers depriving the people of food. Although handicapped by rain and poor conditions for wheeled traffic the World Food Program (WFP) supported by the Sri Lanka government and other stake holders has since 2nd October 2008 dispatched "4120 Metric tons of food and essential items to meet the food needs of 200,000 internally displaced people in the Wanni". "In addition 250 Metric tons of rice locally procured by the WFP in Wanni is included in the overall food distribution making the total food available to the Wanni IDP's . 4370 metric tons" and "to compliment the basic food needs , pregnant lactating women and children under five years receive corn-soya blend nutritionally based food to prevent deterioration of their nutritional status".
The Commissioner General Essential Services Mr Divaratne added that "the recent floods which wreaked havoc in most of the North and East and the rest of the country aggravated the condition of the IDP's". He said in addition to the over 10,000 metric tons of food and essential items to the Wanni in the past two months a total of 400,000 liters of kerosene oil was also dispatched to the Wanni IDP's. The 7th food convoy has been sent to the Wanni while arrangements are being finalized for the 8th convoy with 750 metric tons of food to leave for the Wanni soon.
Meanwhile, increasing numbers of civilians are beginning to move out of the un-cleared to areas under Government control as they did when the Eastern province was being liberated from the terrorists by the Security forces. In the past few days there is a trend once again for civilians to escape from the LTTE controlled areas into Government controlled areas. 15 civilians consisting of five males, eight females and two children had reported to the Security forces yesterday (11) at Thanankaliappu from Paranthan. The Security Forces stated that 47 IDP's who reported to them have been handed over to the Thelippillai Welfare Camp via the Government Agent Jaffna. Two males had also reported to the Omanthai, Vavuniya exit/entry check point yesterday evening at 4.30. A total of 23 Tamil civilians consisting of ten males, 12 females and a boy who had escaped from the un - cleared areas escaped and reported to the Security forces near Palampasi , Nedunkerni northeast on Tuesday (09). This trend is expected to continue.