GENERAL

• The team of Medical Officers from Medicine Sans Frontiers of France who were practicing in the Point Pedro hospital have stopped their services abruptly and left. Due to this there is shortage of Medical Officers in this hospital.
• The fishermen of Gurunagar have not been allowed to go deep sea fishing although they have been allowed to go fishing to a certain distance.  Hence the fishermen have brought all their plastic boats to ashore and kept them in safer places.
• The Gurunagar Fishermen Development Society has in an appeal to the GA stated that though they had been severely affected they were not provided any relief from the government.  They have complained that their losses of 312 boats of 3.5 tons, 243 fibre-glass boats of 17 feet and 135 boats during the military operations from time to time from 1983 was not compensated.  They had purchased new boats with great difficulties and since August 11, 150 Ceynor boats, 100 super board boats, 64 trawlers and 25 boats are kept idling.  Total value of these vessels in 74.9 millions and the nets and other accessories are worth 23.43995 million rupees.
• It has been estimated in Jaffna District that 17, 500 fishing families directly involve in fishing and 4,000 families engaged in fishing related business are affected due to prohibition of fishing.
• The Jaffna District Development Cooperative Stores is supplying egg mash and milk mash utilising the raw materials in stock.  Egg mash is LKR 550. per 25 Kg bag and milk mash for LKR 425. per 25 Kg bag.  But it is reported in some areas prices of these items are very high, egg mash LKR 750. and milk mash LKR 640.
• Consumers from Pandateruppu and Sillalai area are complaining that wheat flour supplied to them are unfit for consumption.
• Mine clearance activities have been recommenced in the Mathagal area.
• Mobile phones are still not functioning in Jaffna Peninsula and telephone contacts from Jaffna peninsula to Vanni are limited due to the function of few telephone lines in Vanni.
• Electricity supply is give on limited hours during day time and nights.
• Yesterday morning Artillery shell attack sounds were heard in Eluthumadduval and Nagarkovil areas.

FOOD, NON-FOOD ITEMS

• Even though the dry-rations (rice, flour, sugar and dhal) were given to the IDPs in welfare centres and other places, they are unable to purchase other items needed for cooking as most of the displaced are daily wage coolies and do not have any income to buy vegetables, salt, coconut, firewood, etc.
• Purchase of rice in Bag (50 Kg) is an extremely difficult task in Jaffna Peninsula for any functions.  Even 2 or 3 bags of rice could not be purchased in the markets.  Scarcity of food items still continues.
• There is a shortage of bread in the Vadamaradchy area even though flour had been equitably distributed.  It is understood that the flour supplied is insufficient to meet the demand from the public.
• The 4th phase of issue of food items for cash will be available by the end of the week.  The GA informed that there would be no free issues this time. For a family on family card issues will be as follows: public could purchase other items and milk foods.

No. of family members	Rice Kg	Flour Kg	Sugar Kg	Dhal Kg
1 – 2	3	2	2	1
> 3	5	3	3	2

• Consumers in the Neervely area are facing a new kind of problem.  Certain families are unable to draw there rations as the branch managers state that the list containing the names of those persons had not yet been received by them.

TRAVEL & VEHICLES

• 1,000 University students from other districts arrived in their own places yesterday and the remaining 300 students will be sent very soon according to the acting VC.
• 2, 493 vehicle owners in the Vali-South West division have been issued with fuel cards for the purchase of fuel.

EDUCATION

• Boycott of schools in the peninsula is continuing.

DISPLACEMENT

• Displaced life is still continuing in some areas.

INJURIES, KILLING, ARREST AND MISSING

• A person who had to the field well to take a bath during curfew hours in Nunavil was arrested by the security forces and handed over to the police.
• It is reported in the Human Rights Jaffna offices that 5 persons went to Allaipitty on 24th September were not returned home.

CURFEW LIFTED HOURS:

• Curfew has been lifted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Valigamam, Island, Thenmaradchy and Vadamaradchy divisions.

HUDEC-Cartias Jaffna
3rd October 2006