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A surge in violence in Sri Lanka has stoked fears the island is sliding back into civil war after four years of relative peace. Hundreds are fleeing their homes in the north and east. Meanwhile the country is also recovering from the 2004 tsunami with more than 450,000 people still displaced.
- 3,800 child soldiers recruited since 2002
- 1 million mines remain from last war
- 800,000 displaced by conflict and tsunami
Some 64,000 people died and a million fled their homes during two decades of civil war between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels fighting for an independent state in the north and east of the island.
Landmines and explosive debris have left large areas uninhabitable. The fighting has also laid waste to agricultural land, contributing to child malnutrition. One of the biggest tragedies has been the rebels' use of child soldiers, some as young as nine.
The conflict has its roots in ethnic tension between the Buddhist Sinhalese majority and the mainly Hindu Tamil minority who accuse the government of discrimination.
The two sides signed a ceasefire in 2002. The Tigers relaxed their demand for a separate homeland, but withdrew from peace talks in 2003. Violence has escalated since the end of 2005, prompting fears the island is slipping back into war.
The Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed more than 35,000 people in Sri Lanka, underlined the ethnic divisions - a deal to share international aid has still not been implemented.
Further information
pdf: http://www.alertnet.org/db/crisisprofiles/LK_CON.htm?v=at_a_glance