Human rights

While approximately 90 per cent of the land identification process has been completed, displaced communities remain uncertain about when permanent housing will become available. For many survivors, the prolonged wait for safe housing continues to compound the trauma of the disaster.

UNICEF also urged combatants to take every possible precaution in their choice of weapons and tactics, specifically calling for an end to the use of explosive weapons in areas where children live and learn.

The UN's broader appeal comes amid regional instability. Weeks of prior violence had already heightened tensions, with Pakistan linking the strikes to cross-border incursions by groups like the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Human Rights Watch lambasts the “explosive mob vigilantism,” calling for safeguards against assaults on journalists (340 incidents in 2025) and minorities.

As elections near, experts urge comprehensive land reform to recognise informal tenures and ensure equitable distribution. The 2008 Constituent Assembly subcommittee identified livelihood alternatives as key, yet many ex-Kamaiyas remain in marginal work.

In response to the airstrikes, the United Nations has emerged as a key player in attempting to de-escalate the situation. On February 23, 2026, UN deputy secretary-general Rosemary DiCarlo held a phone conversation with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, during which she expressed deep sympathy for the civilian losses.

The event reflects continued activism in Sri Lanka, where economic recovery has not erased memories of the struggle or resolved grievances over state responses.

Residents report being stopped and subjected to breath checks for alcohol, or accused of transporting illicit liquor when carrying water from filtration plants. In the...