Thousands of families in the Mannar district have been seriously impacted by the travel ban, with daily wage labourers being particularly affected over the last few weeks.

Families have been left with no choice but to meet their food needs and combat the economic impact of the strictly imposed measures by digging and selling clams from the coastal area.

These families have been particularly heavily impacted by the travel restrictions, as they are struggling to make ends meet due to rising commodity prices and no provision of proper employment opportunities.

With the travel ban in effect, essential food items and supplies have become more scarce with the increased demand, leading to items being sold at increased prices. Vegetables and fish are being sold at much higher prices than normal and also very difficult to obtain, meaning families are finding it difficult to pay for supplies to get a regular meal.

The Sri Lankan government announced a Rs. 5,000 allowance to be given, however this was limited to Samurdhi recipient families, meaning a lot of families in the district are not entitled to the scheme. The scheme states that only those “below the poverty line” will be offered the Rs. 5000 allowance and this has resulted in many families having to collect shellfish along the beach to make some means of income. Even those who have collected the allowance have found it difficult to cope with the price hikes. 

In the North-East, the COVID-19 response has seen increased incidents of intimidation, surveillance and harassment of Tamils further exacerbating mental health disorders that are prominent among victims of the war.