World Vision calls for help as 60,000 children rendered homeless

International Christian aid agency World Vision has called for the mobilizing of more funds to meet the needs of 200,000 Tamil civilians of whom 60,000 are child survivors.

The alarming number of civilian casualties in Sri Lanka has led to the criticality of the situation for which the aid agency currently operating a USD 3 million emergency aid response wants it doubled to USD 6 million.

An additional USD 7 million is needed to help survivors return and rehabilitate them in their homes and villages.

National Director of World Vision Lanka, Suresh Bartlett, says the global financial meltdown and swine flu were deviating the world's attention from the gross humanitarian crisis.

"There are almost 200,000 survivors in the camps in the North who have survived a most brutal experience after being trapped in a conflict zone for weeks. At least 60,000 children are among them," says Bartlett, who was deeply troubled by the impact of war on children, following his recent visit.

"It is almost impossible to understand what these children have been through. Can you imagine what it must be like to see your friends, your brothers and sisters killed, to live in fear of the blasts and gunshots, to see your parents terrified and to go without meals and water for days on end?"

"Even before this latest turn of events many of these children have been displaced numerous times over the years. Some have never known what it is to have a proper home or to live in safety," he reminisced.

World Vision, which is the largest Christian relief and development organizations in the world, has already met the needs of 10,000 families with assistance, including water, supplementary foods, and shelter.

However, the aid agency points the need for a holistic approach by international aid agencies to combat the situation. The camps in several parts of the No Fire Zone in the island's north is overflowing, the agency notes.

Children apparently have been the worst hit in the incessant fighting between the government and the Tamil rebels for which the UN Children's Agency (UNICEF) has also appealed for US$5 million.

"I am extremely concerned that if we don't seize this opportunity to help
the conflict survivors, especially the children, who are suffering from this
long-running conflict, they will remain scarred not just by their memories but also by ongoing poverty," says Bartlett.

"It is critical that we urgently commit funds to meet their needs. This will not only help to bring healing but also create an environment for peace and reconciliation," he adds.

The aid agency, in recent weeks has provided food packets to more than 25,000 internally displaced people and hospital care packs to 700 families. On a daily basis, World Vision is distributing nearly 100,000 litres of water across various camp locations.

"We are handing out food baskets with dried fish, salt, pulses (dried beans) and chillies to newly arriving families who have gone for days with virtually no food, travelling in the hot sun," says Bartlett.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday there was an overwhelming response from the Indian Christian community as representatives, pastors and Catholic priests held a joint demonstration over the alleged 'genocide' in the island nation.

Organised by the Ecumenical Christian Forum for Human Rights, the rally denounced the crime against 'humanity' and demanded that UN intervene in ending the deadly civilian war.