Sri Lanka: Women and girls suffer due to lack of sanitation, water

The savage war between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil rebels has upped the number of war refugees to 192,000.

While Christian relief organisations and NGOs are strenuously involved in relief efforts, there is rising concern over the appalling conditions of the refugees in relief camps, especially women and children.

CARE, a leading humanitarian organization in the world, says women and girls escaping conflict zone meet special challenges.

"One of the harshest realities for women fleeing the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka is that when they finally reach a safe haven, it has no adequate toilet facilities for them," says CARE, adding "water and sanitation are still in critically short supply at the camps in Vavuniya, just outside the conflict zone – a situation that disproportionately affects women and girls."

"Women face the brunt of these water shortages. Just as they did before their lives were disrupted, women are responsible for collecting water for their families in the camps; and the majority of people lining up to get water from collection points are women."

CARE further suggests that the emergency trench toilets earlier erected on a temporary basis be replaced with semi-permanent latrines to prevent the spread of disease and ensure sanitation in the camps.

The aid agency has made special efforts to meet the needs of women, including providing sanitary supplies and crucial items for mothers with small children.

It has appealed for $9 million for its immediate emergency response and to assist in the long-term recovery, rebuilding homes, livelihoods, infrastructure and social services.

"More than 186,000 displaced people now have managed to reach the camps. Until these people can go home, long-term funding will be needed to ensure their basic needs are met," says CARE Sri Lanka Country Director Nick Osborne.

"People were on the run for months, faced significant hardships, surviving without enough food and water. We need to make sure that in these camps, they can access food, clean water and sanitation," he adds.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), meanwhile, says at least 3,000 pregnant women have fled the fighting in recent days and some 350 of them will give birth in the next month.

"In this overwhelming situation, it is important that women's specific health concerns, from their hygiene needs to life-threatening complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, are not overlooked," said UNFPA Representative in Sri Lanka Lene K. Christiansen.

The 20-plus-year civil war, one of the world's deadliest ongoing armed conflicts, has resulted in more than 70,000 deaths.

International agencies believe there are still more than 100,000 men, women and children trapped in the No Fire Zone. There are also reports suggesting that the Tamil rebels are trapping civilians, to use them as human shields.