It is the bounden duty of all sections of society to stop attacks on highly populated areas. A large number of people are displaced following military offensive. They live as refugees in temporary huts without basic amenities of life. They are denied adequate food provisions and even water to drink.

Meanwhile, there are re[ports that a school teacher and 9 students were injured following an air strike in Sundikulam in Killinochchi. The bomb was reported to have been dropped in the premises of the school. As a result, there is a sense of fear in the area. There are reports that there is a scarcity for medicines in the Jaffna peninsula.

Meanwhile, when people are injured due to air strikes, immediate treatment is unavailable to the victims. As a result of the closure of the A9 high way, the injured cannot be transported to far away places for necessary treatment. It must be noted that earlier many victims of air strikes succumbed to death following inability to get medical facilities.

Therefore, we reiterate that air strikes must be avoided in areas that are densely populated for humanitarian reasons. It is doubtful whether these humanitarian considerations were addressed to during air attacks.

There are reports that the non-governmental organizations have not responded readily to serve the displaced people. Are the NGOS unable to cope with the ever increasing number of refugees?

Had the authorities addressed their mind to this cardinal tenet, displacement of people in such large numbers could have been averted.

We appeal that such military attacks must be stopped and immediate steps must be taken to provide humanitarian services to the displaced people.

An English translation of the Editorial in Virakesari, a Tamil daily based in Colombo

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