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UNICEF to probe child recruitment by LTTE
By Asif Fuard
After receiving three cases of attempted child recruitment by the LTTE from welfare centres in the North and the East, the UNICEF has decided to probe incidents of such nature.

"We have always been against the recruitment and trafficking of children. We plan on investigating more on the recruitment of children. However the Government and the LTTE have been cooperative in our cause," Mr. Chaiban said.

Mr. Chaiban said that in the midst of this crisis there were several other cases of child trafficking and abuse which the Government found difficult to cope with.

"However, so far we have detected six cases of child abuse and two cases of attempted trafficking," Mr. Chaiban said.

A survey conducted by the UNICEF in collaboration with the National Child Protection Authority, Save the Children, ILO and Probation and Child Care Services confirmed that nearly 1000 children had lost their parents and 3,200 children had lost at least one parent.

"Most of these children will be taken care of by foster homes and those sponsors willing to take care of them. An emergency education programme is also on the way to bring the children back to school," he said.

"In the first two weeks, the UNICEF had committed US$17 million and this has been continuing to grow," Ted Chaiban said.

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