Sri Lankan Death Toll Skyrockets

By Alyssa Landers

Almost 400 Sri Lankan civilians were reported dead—in addition to over 1,000 injured—as the result of a military bombing that took place yesterday. The government denies any affiliation with the bombing of the supposed “safety zone.” The minority rebel group, the Tamil Tigers, claim that the really number of injured approaches 2,000.

Yet it is impossible to verify who did what in this raging civil war, as journalists are not allowed into the actual war zone and the only sources of information are the government, and pro-Tiger resources.

After almost 30 years of civil war raging between the Sri Lankan government and the militant Tamil group, civilians have been forced to migrate to government-established refugee camps under impossible circumstances. As of now, the government has succeeded in pushing the guerillas onto a small strip of land along the northern coast, accusing the Tigers of “causing a humanitarian disaster.”

Whether or not this accusation rings true, the Tigers have been fighting for an independent homeland within Sri Lankan borders since the early 1980s, when the minority Tamil group was condemned by the government.

But the test of government efficacy will be how it deals with the growing IDP (internally displaced persons) population. It is estimated that close to 100,000 civilians have recently fled the guerrilla-controlled area for refugee camps in the Vavinuya region, with many traveling far distances. The government and the Tigers continually accuse one other of holding civilians “hostage.”

Refugees fleeing the rebel area have trudged through miles of dangerous swampland, with many arriving at government operated checkpoints by boat. And with this large an influx, there is no doubt among aid agencies that the result will be disaster. The government has vowed to protect all incoming refugees but in the extreme heat of the camps there is little hope of finding adequate resources for so many people.

Currently, agencies like Oxfam and Habitat for Humanity are working to build shelters (which now consist of makeshift tents made of tarpaulin and plastic) and provide potable drinking water, of which there is a severe lack in the dry, hot region in the north.

With little access to either civilian testimony or other reliable sources of information, one significant difficulty in putting an end to the bloody and long-standing civil war remains how to assess the current situation objectively. For now, the situation continues to be most deadly for civilians, caught in a raging battle between a militant government and a staunchly opposed rebel group.