National

“No shortage of food or medicines in Jaffna”

COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government on Tuesday asserted that contrary to claims in some quarters there was no shortage of food or medicines in the Jaffna peninsula.

In a statement here, it gave details of the dispatches of food, medicines and other essential commodities for last one year to buttress its argument that the quantities sent were actually a little more than the estimated requirements of the population in the peninsula.

Maintaining that the current situation concerning food and medicines was “satisfactory,” it said that it was committed to maintaining sufficient quantities in the peninsula.

As per the government statistics, there are 1, 88,266 families consisting of 6, 53,735 individuals in the peninsula and their total food requirement are estimated at mt (metric tonnes) 11, 000 a month. On the basis of the calculation, the requirement from September 2006 — August 2007 is measured at mt. 1,32,000.

“To meet this requirement, the government of Sri Lanka dispatched mt.1, 09,000 of food by hiring vessels while mt. 40, 082 of food items were sent through private parties. In addition, mt.206 of food items was sent by air. The total quantity of food and other essential items sent to the peninsula is placed at mt.1,49,288.”

The government said its mission in Chennai, together with the Sri Lanka Ministry of Social Services and the Commissioner General, Essential Services and Cooperative Wholesale Establishment this year arranged two shipments of food items, consisting mainly of groceries, from Chennai direct to Jaffna due to the close proximity.

It said the first consignment mt. 2,675 of goods was dispatched on January 4 and the second consignment of mt. 2,950 was shipped on May 2. “Though initially the distribution of food items was largely carried out by the numerous branches of the Multi Purpose Cooperative Societies, private traders too started operating by mid-January 2007 improving the situation even further,” the statement said.

The farmers of Jaffna peninsula, who largely produce red onions, vegetables, palmyra products and tobacco, had been successful in shipping a surplus of mt.7,564.8 to Trincomalee and Colombo after meeting their requirements of the domestic market.

While ensuring sufficient food stocks, the government was regularly dispatching medicines to the peninsula. “The Ministry of Health has been granted every shipment facility to dispatch their quarterly requirements of medical supplies to the Teaching Hospital in Jaffna. In addition, emergency supplies are also delivered by air on a regular basis,” it said.

Adequate supply of fuel including kerosene was also available and a steady supply had been established to meet the needs of the Jaffna population.

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