Even schools are run in temporary sheds. There is a scarcity of food items as lorries have not reached the Wanni area. Vegetables are exorbitant in price. Since people are moving from place to place, they are not involved in cultivation. We witnessed severe poverty and also noticed malnourishment among children.
Some serious steps have to be taken to provide people with basic food items.
We visited the government hospital in Akkarayankulam, the mission hospital in Tharmapuram and the Dr. Ponnambalam Memorial Hospital in Mallavi. Many doctors shared their shortcomings. There is a severe shortage of all medicine, including basic antibiotics, vitamins and minerals. The doctors indicated that malaria and diarrhoea are the two main epidemics that are affecting the people now. We saw many women and children sitting under trees and shivering.