Pungudutivu
Pungudutivu is a small island composed of number villages that is just west of the Jaffna Peninsula in Sri Lankan Tamil dominated Northern Province. It is divided into 12 wards internally, each corresponding a major settlement. The island was named as Middleburg by the Dutch colonial rulers during their occupation of then Ceylon. Most of the residents of the Island are Tamils with majority being Hindus and a minority of Christians. There are a lot of Hindu temples in this region along with some Christian churches. Nearly 15 Tamil schools exist there for the benefits of the place. Government hospitals and some private clinics are also available. Pungudutivu is connected by road with mainland Jaffna. SLTB and private buses travel through the island along the Jaffna - Kurikattuvan route. People take a boat from Kurikattuvan to reach Nainativu, which is celebrated for its religious popularity.
Unfortunately, it has been the subject and victim of wartime sexual violence by members of the Sri Lankan Navy who used sexual violence as a means of war during the Sri Lankan Civil War. Prominent cases include Sarathambal and Ilayathambi Tharsini. The civil war has also led a large number of people to migrate out of the Island throughout the world.
