CIVIL WARS

Devastation in Sri Lanka

U.N. chief calls displacement camps “appalling.”

On Monday the Sri Lankan government declared an end to the 25-year-old civil war against the Tamil Tiger rebels, but the devastation has just begun, with the country still in severe need of water and supplies for its displaced citizens. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon visited the region on Saturday and told CNN, “I have traveled around the world and visited similar places, but this is by far the most appalling scenes I have seen. I sympathize fully with all of the displaced persons.” Nearly 250,000 to 300,000 people are refugees in the coastal villages, although the Sri Lankan government does not believe many civilians were injured in the fighting.