Over 4,000 Tamil children have lost one or both parents in the Kilinochchi district alone, according to statistics released by the Sri Lankan government’s District Secretariat.

According to the statistics 3,044 children have lost their father, whilst 764 have lost their mother. 476 children have lost both parents.

The statistics were compiled from across the region, including Karaichchi, Kandavalai, Pachchilaipalli and Poonakari.

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera welcomed a decision by the European Union to lift a ban on fishing exports from the island, stating that his government had taken “immediate measures” to revoke the ban since coming into power.

"The lifting of the red card will allow Sri Lanka to resume fish exports to the EU's 28 member countries,” said Mr Samaraweera, noting that EU markets “accounted for 68 percent of Sri Lanka's fish exports, amounting to 108 million dollars”.

A controversial new Sinhala colonisation program in the Tamil North-East of the island will also see new villages being constructed in the Sinhala south and named after former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Housing and Construction Sajith Premadasa said the ‘Village Reawakening’ program was to construct a new village in Hambantatota after Mr Rajapaksa, who is accused of overseeing and directing mass atrocities during the final stages of the armed conflict on the island.

“We are hoping to build villages to be named after all former presidents and rulers of Sri Lanka,” added Mr Premadasa, himself the son of a former president R Premadasa who initiated the scheme.

Last week the minister opened a new village in the Tamil North-East as part of the program.