Action Alert Archive

Number of IDPs Soar in North and East Sri Lanka

November 29, 2007

Following Amnesty International’s condemnation of the Sri Lankan army’s attack on a Batticaloa IDP camp in November 2006 that killed nearly 50 Tamil civilians, thousands of IDPs in the north and east of Sri Lanka continue to suffer from recent fighting between armed forces. In September of 2007, more than 3,000 civilians fled their homes in the Mannar district after renewed fighting, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. IDPs in this area are living in poor sanitation conditions under plastic sheets as covers. Food and water supplies are limited and schools have been turned into makeshift displacement camps.

In March of 2007, Human Rights Watch reported over 900 IDPs forced to return to war-torn villages of the Trincomalee district as part of a government plan to send back 2800 IDPs. Government authorities threatened to withdraw humanitarian aid and food if the civilians did not return. The UNHCR received a petition from a group of 92 IDPs stating their unwillingness to return, and describing government pressure to force their return.

According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, an estimated 460,000 IDPs currently live in Sri Lanka, most of whom are Tamils and Muslims. UNHCR stated, “Security is one of the main prerequisites for return…it is the responsibility of the government to ensure the security of returnees.” The rights of internally displaced persons must be respected under humanitarian law. We appeal to you to urge the United States government to prevail upon the Sri Lankan government to end forcible returns and ensure the safety and welfare of the internally displaced persons in the north and east.