Sri Lankan war widows turn to painkillers

(By ucanews.com reporter, Jaffna July 19, 2010) Sri Lankan war widows turn to painkillers thumbnail Some of the priests who worked in the former war zone An increasing number of widows in northern Sri Lanka are dealing with the aftermath of the country’s civil war by taking painkillers, say priests. “They are buying the painkillers from local shops,” said Father E.S.C. Mariathas, “but what they need above all is treatment for the stress they feel, since the war turned their lives into misery, desperation and insecurity.” About 20 Catholic priests from Mannar and Jaffna dioceses have been assigned to the former war zones in the north, to set about returning thousands of resettled families to a stable, sustainable, integrated life. http://www.ucanews.com/2010/07/19/sri-lankan-war-widows-turn-to-painkillers/