INSTITUTIONAL DATA

Sri Lanka - Between 15 September 2007 and 31 January 2009
Children and armed conflict –Sri Lanka - Report of the Secretary General/S/2009/325

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• During the reporting period, several incidents of abduction reported to and verified by the Country Task Force were documented. At least 25 children were abducted by armed groups for purposes of recruitment;

• Throughout the reporting period (given recent developments, it must be underscored that the reporting period of the present report covers only the period from 15 September 2007 to 31 January 2009), children have continued to be killed and maimed as a result of the conflict. The situation has grown increasingly precarious for children since December 2008, with the intensification of hostilities in the north of Sri Lanka. The physical security of children trapped in zones of hostility has become the most critical protection concern for children as of 31 January 2009. The full scale of violations is not known owing to access impediments. However, on occasions when access to the Vanni was possible, the United Nations verified that at least 4 children were killed and 17 injured in December 2008 and 55 children were killed and 212 injured in January 2009 as a result of shelling and aerial bombardments;

• During the reporting period, two cases of attacks on schools were verified by the Country Task Force;

• From 15 September 2007 to 15 September 2008, one incident of an attack on a hospital was reported and verified by the Country Task Force. However, from 15 December 2008 to 15 January 2009, 11 shellings on or near medical facilities in the Vanni were reported. On 2 February 2009, ICRC issued a statement condemning the shelling of Puthukkudiyirppu Hospital for the second time. It has since been shelled on three other occasions. Reports indicate that patients and staff had to flee the fighting. Cases reported to the Country Task Force include the following. On 1 April 2008, a hospital was shelled in Murunkan, Mannar district, an area controlled by the Government, damaging the paediatric ward and the administrative and out-patient department building. No human casualties were reported, although the capacity of the hospital was reduced by approximately 30 per cent. LTTE is believed to have been responsible. There have been no confirmed incidents of attacks on schools and hospitals by TMVP;

• There were no verified cases of rape or other grave sexual violence against children by parties to the conflict in the reporting period;