Hospitals bombed in Tamil Homeland

INDICTMENT AGAINST SRI LANKA

HOSPITALS BOMBED
IN TAMIL HOMELAND
- November 1993/January 1994

On 12 November 1993, at about 2.30 p.m. Sri Lankan supersonic jets bombed the safety zone around the Jaffna Hospital. The bombs were dropped within 50 yards of the main entrance to the Hospital. This area is under ICRC control. Doors, windows and tiles of the Hospital were broken and fell in pieces. The outer wall of the OPD came tumbling down. Glass shutters of some vehicles within the hospital were shattered. Two security guards of the hospital, a Red Cross volunteer worker, and an infant in the hands of a woman who rushed into the hospital for safety were injured.(Hot Springs Weekly, Jaffna, 21 November 1993)

Killinochchi Hospital was targeted on 15 November. ''As a supersonic bomber flew over our hospital, those inside fearing that bombs may fall became very agitated. There was pandemonium. Many of the patients lay down under their beds in fear. Some went outside and laid themselves face downwards on the verandah and on the ground. I remained inside my office in the ward. Everywhere large swirls of dust and debris were deposited. I felt as if my uniform and belt was being ripped out by somebody in a twinkling of an eye. After that I did not know what happened.''

''This is how Acting Matron Sinnathangam Mahendrarajah, who was injured in the aerial bombardment of Killinochchi Hospital on (15 November) Monday morning at about 10.30 am. described the incident. Sinnathangam Mahendrarajah made the statement from Vav-uniya Hospital where she had been taken for treatment.''

''In this bombardment, the maternity ward and the out patients department of the Killinochchi Hospital were badly damaged. As a result a mother and child who were in the ward died. Many others were injured. At the time of the bombardment the maternity ward had 14 mothers and seven babies. They escaped with minor injuries.''

''The Acting Matron describing her shock at what had happened went on: ''Aerial bombardments have occurred several times in the Killinochchi District. But the Hospital had not been attacked before this. That is why I had not taken any special precaution.'' - (Colombo based Virakesari , 21 November 1993)

The Kodikamam Hospital came under fire from a Sri Lanka Air Force helicopter on 11 January at about 8.00 a.m. The helicopter fired at random at the Mirusuvil-Kodikamam main road, hitting the hospital as well. Some houses in the area and the hospital were damaged.(Network, March 1994)