Food convoy takes safer route

Chaminda PERERA

OMANTHAI: The WFP food convoy which returned to Vavuniya after the LTTE artillery attack on Thursday crossed the Omanthai checkpoint yesterday to reach Killinochchi and Mullaitivu districts through an alternative road.

Essential Services Additional Secretary D. Liyanarachchi said 50 lorries of essential commodities dispatched by the WFO in addition to 20 lorries daily sent to the uncleared areas by the Government through the respective Government Agents have crossed the Omanthai Checkpoint yesterday. These lorries will reach Killinochchi and Mullaitivu via Puliyankulam, Nedunkerni, Oddusudan.

Liyanarachchi was speaking at a press briefing on the Government’s humanitarian assistance programme at the Meteorological Department yesterday. He said the Government dispatched 20 lorries of essential food items on Thursday too despite the artillery attack on WFO food convoy. The 50 lorries that left for Wanni yesterday carry over 750 MT tonne of essential items.

He said Essential Service Commissioner jointly with the Nation Building Ministry have made a comprehensive arrangement to ensure that no shortage of food or other essentials exist in the uncleared areas in the Killinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.

The Government maintains buffer stocks in Colombo and Vavuniya and expects to set up similar stocks in Mullaitivu and Killinochchi under the custody of respective District Secretaries in case of any emergency.

“We dispatched 28 lorries containing rice, 112 MT of wheat flour, 15 Mt of sugar, 23 MT of other items and rice on October 16. In addition 82,500 litres of kerosene in six bowers were also sent to the uncleared areas.” Nation Building Ministry Secretary said the Ministry is in constant touch with the respective GAs and all their requirements are expeditiously fulfilled, he said.

Medical Supplies Director of the Health Ministry Dr. H. Beneragama said there is no drug shortage in hospitals in the Mullaitivu and Killinochchi districts.

“The Health Ministry sends adequate stocks of drugs and other medical accessories to the hospitals on the requests of respective Directors of Health on a quarterly basis.

Drugs and other items for the fourth quarter this year have already been dispatched to hospitals.”

The Medical supplies division issues these stocks early to the hospitals in the uncleared areas to ensure that people are not affected by a drug shortage.

The Directors of Health in respective areas can obtain their requirement any time from the Medawachchiya storage facility.

Health Ministry Advisor S. Jeganathan said the Ministry is exploring any possibility of sending specialists to the Mullaitivu hospital through the ICRC. “We have discussed this issue with the ICRC and they have positively responded to our request.”

Jeganathan said the patients who needs specialists’ care can have this service at the Vavuniya General Hospital and ambulances from hospitals in uncleared are allowed to enter the cleared areas freely.