Drowning in Sri Lanka

[Frontline footage in Sri Lanka from Al Jazeera - contains graphic images.]

The worst place in the world is a vanishingly small sliver of land (no larger than 5 square kilometers) in northern Sri Lanka, where tens of thousands of civilians remain trapped between the Sri Lankan military and the rebel Tamil Tigers.  According to the UN, over 6,400 civilians have been killed in the fighting since late January.

Recent Developments:

As of April 30th, the UN estimates that fifty thousand people are still trapped behind the Tamil Tiger front lines, trying to survive in the midst of continuous fighting.  Fifty thousand people in five square miles - 10,000 people per square mile, a higher population density than Mexico City, or London.

They're shelled by the Sri Lankan government, then shot by the Tamil Tigers when they try to flee.  Food supplies are running low; many of those who do escape are malnourished and anemic.

In The Drowned And The Saved, Primo Levi describes his experiences in Auschwitz, or, as he calls it, the Lager.  According to Levi:

"We the survivors are not the true witnesses. We survivors are not only an exiguous but also an anomalous minority; we are those who by their prevarications or abilities or good luck did not touch bottom. Those who did so, those who saw the Gorgon, have not returned to tell about it or have returned mute, but they are...the submerged, the complete witness, the ones whose disposition would have a general significance."

Lines which now make me think of Sri Lanka - fifty thousand submerged, complete witnesses, the ones who see the Gorgon.

Beyond those still trapped, over 170,000 people have managed to flee - including 100,000 in the last ten days.

Twenty-five percent of young children who make it across the front lines are acutely malnourished.  And these are the lucky ones, the ones who've managed to escape.

Aid agencies are overwhelmed; water, sanitation, health and shelter are major concerns.

According to the UN, the condition in the camps has "reached breaking point, placing severe strains on the humanitarian services available".  Yet there's not enough funding to respond - as one aid worker explained:

"All the agencies are trying to scale up their response for the next exodus, but we all need funding and this is one of the biggest reasons behind our constraints."

The UN made an emergency appeal for funds in February - so far, it has received just 30% of the money it needs.

For the most recent UN Situation report, see here.  For a map showing the locations of displaced person camps, see here.

If you would like to learn more about how aid agencies are responding - or donate - please see the following websites: CARE, Christian Aid, International Committee of the Red Cross, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), and Save the Children.