Mullaitivu Letter 2

Dear Sister, I am well. God will look after you.

I write this letter to inform you about our plight I have undergone. My husband died in Maththalan on account of a shell attack. This happened when we were going to Maththalan from Puthukudiyiruppu as we couldn’t stay there due to shell attacks and aerial bomb attacks. My two sons were grievously hurt and they cannot walk properly. I left my two sons and came to the army controlled area with my other 3 children. I was looking for my two sons everywhere, but I couldn’t find them. After 5 months one of them  joined us and the other is still in a detention camp. They kept him in Omanthai and afterwards he was taken to Tharmapuram Rehabilitation Centre. Then he was transferred to Pampaimadu Rehabilitation Centre. He was in Boose for 2 years. Afterwards they kept him in the Welikade Prison  for 3 months. Then he was in Maruthamadu Rehabilitation Centre for 1 month. Now he is detained in Polonnaruwa.

Now at Kadirgamar welfare centre I find it difficult to look after my four children. We cannot fulfil our daily needs. Their schooling remains a big problem. Now they provide us only the relief items. They give us 10 Kg of rice, 0.5 Kg of dry-fish and dhal, 0.5 bottle of coconut-oil and 600 grams of sugar as monthly rations. I find it very difficult   to fulfil our needs like clothes, schooling for the children, other food items and travelling to see my son who is in detention.

If we can return to our own place, things might be easier. We don’t have enough water. If we are resettled in our own area we can do something and live. Now in this camp our shelter has been blown away on account of strong wind. We have no protection from rain. Our life is miserable. We have our illnesses. We cook without coconut. If we are resettled then that is enough for us. Thieves also harass us. As I am a widow and we have no employment we have to face many challenges. I wrote this letter to inform you the situation we are facing.