water – People for Equality and Relief in Lanka

Fifth World Water Forum: war victims need better access to water and sanitation

By pearlaction | March 17, 2009 |

[ICRC] “Water, sewage and electrical power systems, along with medical facilities, are usually the first things to be disrupted when a war breaks out,” said Robert Mardini, who heads the ICRC’s water and habitat unit. “They can be damaged or shut down completely by shelling and explosions, or overwhelmed by influxes of displaced people. Such…

Sri Lanka patients tell of shooting, shelling and trapped relatives

By pearlaction | March 2, 2009 |

[Doctors Without Borders] As heavy fighting continues in northern Sri Lanka, over 200,000 civilians remain trapped in the conflict in the Vanni region. But, over the past few weeks, some 35,000 people have managed to flee to the city of Vavuniya, 80 km south of the conflict zone. They tell of a beleaguered population living…

Civilians face increasing risk amid Sri Lanka fighting, warns UN humanitarian chief

By pearlaction | January 16, 2009 |

[UN News Centre] The United Nations is increasingly concerned for the well-being of tens of thousands of civilians caught up in the conflict raging in the northern Vanni area of Sri Lanka pitting Government forces against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the world body’s humanitarian chief said today. “As fighting surrounds the…