| More than 36,000 Tamil Children in Sri Lankan Concentration Camps are under 5 years - Unicef Report |
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 According to a Unicef Media Release more than 36,000 Tamil Children in Sri Lankan Concentration Camps in Vavuniya are under 5 years and it is working a vaccination program this week. More than 300,000 tamils are currently detained in UN funded Concentration camps by Mahinda Rajapaksa administration in Sri Lanka. Human Rights campaigners who voiced against the use of child soldiers in Sri Lanka like Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy ( UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict ) are keeping tight lip on the pathetic plight of this 36,000 kids who are under 5 years old and in a way aiding & abetting the human rights violations by Sri Lankan Government, a human rights activist said. Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy's Office was not immediately available for comments.
Full Text of Unicef Press Release The campaign will target all children under 5 years. Nearly 100 public health midwives and 1200 volunteers will participate at 30 centres in Vavuniya. This follows several weeks of preparations to pre-position immunization supplies, train health workers and mobilize volunteers. ‘Child health remains a key priority for the Government of Sri Lanka, we are committed to ensuring that the IDP population is protected’ said Secretary to the Ministry of Health, Dr Athula Kahandaliyanage. Speaking today at a special measles training for health workers, the Deputy Director of Health Services, Dr. Ajith Mendis, thanked all of those involved in the campaign, particularly UNICEF, and urged all parents in camps to have their children vaccinated at the nearest centre. Together with immunization against measles, children will be given a dose of vitamin A and de-worming tablets – two additional life saving interventions aimed at raising a child’s resistance against many diseases and preventing malnutrition, while freeing them from worms. Children will also be given the polio vaccine. ‘Children under five are the most vulnerable part of a population especially in emergencies; this campaign will help save lives’ said Desiree Jongsma, Acting UNICEF Country Representative. She commended the joint efforts by the Ministry of Health Care and Nutrition, the Epidemiology Unit and all partners on this important initiative. The measles campaign is being implemented with the generous contribution of DFID. Globally measles remains one of the major causes of childhood illness and a leading cause of child deaths especially in countries undergoing or recovering from emergencies. Immunization activities, together with vitamin A supplementation, are the most effective means of reducing mortality during and after complex emergencies. |
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