After decades of civil war, over a million landmines remain in the ground in Sri Lanka. Women are on the frontline of the demining effort. Fifteen years after Sri Lanka's brutal civil war, its northern lands remain littered with deadly landmines. They are a haunting reminder of the conflict’s survivors, who lost everything. On behalf of the Halo Trust, an NGO clearing landmines, women like Chandradevi and Sasireka, war widows and single mothers, are taking on the perilous task of demining — rebuilding their lives and their communities, one patch of land at a time. We travelled to the north of Sri Lanka to witness their daily work and see what challenges these communities face.
A report by DW’s Akanksha Saxena.
Editor’s note:
In response to comments in this section, as well as a complaint from The Halo Trust, we wish to provide additional context to the story:
During Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war, tens of thousands of anti-personnel mines were laid by both the Sri Lankan Army and the militant group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Both sides used these mines to secure territory and make frontlines impregnable to attackers. Even after the war ended in 2009, these landmines have continued to endanger civilians. The Halo Trust, a non-political organization, is dedicated to the humanitarian task of clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance, and supporting communities affected by conflict. The political aspects discussed in this story do not reflect the position of The Halo Trust, which has asked for this clarification.
With regard to the fate of the disappeared, reports from the UN and human rights organizations such as Amnesty International have highlighted that Sri Lanka has "the second highest number" of enforced disappearances in the world. As most of the disappeared were men, it is primarily mothers, sisters and wives who have led the search for their loved ones. The unresolved fate of thousands of disappeared continues to haunt entire communities, leaving families without answers. According to the UN, enforced disappearances were primarily used by Sri Lankan security forces and the paramilitary group LTTE to intimidate and suppress perceived opponents.