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Massive influx of refuges in Lanka
[Iran Press TV Latest] Thousands of civilians are crossing into government-controlled area from the no-fire zone (NFZ) occupied by the LTTE rebels in Sir Lanka. Which'd imply the Tigers aren't strong enough to stop them anymore... By Saturday, over 110,000 civilians had crossed over into the government territory in the north since the 'final stage' of clashes started in April 20. Another 70,000 civilians who had crossed prior to April 20 have been accommodated in temporary camps in the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar and Jaffna. The government is preparing temporary shelters for refugees as The United Nations sent its top humanitarian official to Sri Lanka on Saturday to secure the well being of up to 50,000 civilians trapped in fighting between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels. The United Nation's Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes, arrived in Colombo late Saturday. The White House also called for an immediate ceasefire in the region while the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations made a strong statement calling for peace in the island's north. I hope Colombo's still ignoring that claptrap. The United Nations believes up to 50,000 non-combatants are still trapped in the tiny sliver of jungle where the Sri Lankan military has surrounded the remnants of the once powerful Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) army. Posted by: Fred 2009-04-26 |
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