Caritas aid getting through in Sri Lanka

Caritas is supporting 48,000 people who had been forced from their homes in Sri Lanka during fighting in the north of the country.

With the end of hostilities, Caritas Sri Lanka is able to provide food and other food items as well as counselling and medical support.

Conditions in the camps for the 280,000 people displaced by the conflict remain basic, with special concerns over poor sanitation and access to clean drinking water.

Vulnerable groups such as the elderly, pregnant mothers and children are a major concern.

Between the 24 and 27 May, 14 people over the age of 70 died in camps in one area, primarily due to lack of care and extreme heat. Latest reports indicate that releasing elders is to begin on 5 June. More than 2,500 applications have been approved. Read more ...