We witnessed many lorries with foodstuffs stuck on the way. The only bottleneck through which vehicles can enter into Wanni at present is the Madu road junction. Pedestrians and civilians can only go through Uyilankulam after being detained in Mannar for a day or two. Transportation is expensive and an impossible task as only a few old damaged minibuses are commuting between the villages. Diesel and petrol are rare commodities in the Wanni region.
Many people prefer to travel by foot or on bicycles for long journeys.
We witnessed the agony of the elders and aged people who are a neglected lot. The young and children are somehow managing to survive, but they are ignoring the elders. Because of severe poverty and hardships, at every junction and in common places, many elders are begging for food and suffering with disease. This war has had another adverse effect on the community - the psychological impact of the war on many people. We identified many such people, particularly women, wandering on the streets as we drove in the Wanni area.