Date:05/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/05/stories/2008090553511600.htm

International

U.N. plea on displaced in Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: United Nations Resident Representative in Sri Lanka Neil Buhne has appealed for free movement of tens of thousands of civilians displaced in the LTTE-held areas in the north due to fighting for several weeks.

With the military closing in on the LTTE areas from virtually all sides, civilians in Vanni have become vulnerable. The government has accused the LTTE of using civilians as “human shield”.

The appeal, made through Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN) that is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, came two days after the Human Rights Ministry announced that the Defence Ministry is taking “swift measures” to establish a humanitarian corridor to enable safe passage of civilians trapped in LTTE held territory.

The intensity of the fighting and its impact on the civilians was acknowledged by the LTTE in a report posted on its website titled “Sri Lanka Army [SLA] shells A 9 road in the heart of Kilinochchi.” However, the LTTE has not reacted either to the corridor proposal or the appeal of the UN official.

The Defence Ministry said following heavy clashes that lasted for two days since Monday in Akkarayankulama and Nachchikudha areas on the southern Kilinochchi warfront, the troops have been able to dominate several locations of the 18-km long defence.

“LTTE terrorists gave their fullest effort to halt soldiers’ advance but aborted their mission after suffering heavy losses to the life and the material. At present, troops are consolidating their positions” .

Any displaced person is entitled to freedom of movement according to international principles,” said Mr. Buhne. “They can move where and when they want, in search of safety and assistance.”

Fighting in the north-western regions has displaced 74,119 individuals (18,970 families) since June, said the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) in a report released on August 25.

The displaced have moved into Kilinochchi District. The IASC report said there were at least 1,34,868 individuals (35,353 families) displaced in the district, and more than 1,60,000 IDPs in the central-north area, the Vanni, controlled by the LTTE.

The U.N. has been providing supplies to the displaced in the Vanni, accessible only through the Omanthai entry/exit point, 50 km south of Kilinochchi. Mr. Buhne told IRIN that supplies were reaching the displaced despite the access difficulties, but he warned that the situation was very precarious.