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| Sri Lanka |
| Lankans seeking escape routes: ICRC |
| 2009-03-19 |
| The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Wednesday said tens of thousands of people confined to a rapidly-shrinking area under the control of the LTTE in the north of Sri Lanka have headed for the coast to escape the fighting and in search of safety, food and medical care. The Committee said the number of civilians in the coastal belt held by the LTTE had increased drastically over recent weeks, and clean water was scarce. "The area is affected by shelling every day, and the cramped conditions and the lack of water and proper sanitation are putting people at risk of epidemics," it said. "The humanitarian situation is deteriorating by the day," the statement quoted Paul Castella, head of the ICRC's Colombo delegation as saying. "Many of these people are forced to shelter in trenches. They are in considerable physical danger. After having been forced to move from place to place en masse for weeks or even months, they depend entirely on food from outside the conflict area." It said that with the agreement of the government and the LTTE, the ICRC had continued to evacuate patients from Putumattalan (which is in the LTTE-held area) to Trincomalee (in the government-held area). The ICRC-chartered Green Ocean ferry has evacuated over 4,000 sick and wounded people, together with their carers, since evacuations started on February 10. Those evacuated included over 1,400 people in need of surgery, so an ICRC medical team consisting of a surgeon, an anaesthetist and a nurse were helping Trincomalee Hospital to handle the influx. The ICRC continues to monitor allegations concerning violations of international humanitarian law affecting civilians throughout the country. In January and February, over 3,900 people contacted the organisation with allegations concerning missing persons, arbitrary arrests, recruitment of minors, unlawful killings and ill-treatment of civilians by arms bearers. With the cooperation of government officials and the LTTE, the ICRC has been visiting people arrested in connection with the armed conflict to monitor their treatment and conditions of detention. ICRC delegates held private talks with over 1,400 security detainees in over 70 places of detention throughout the country and provided them with clothes, toiletries and recreational items. Separately, the military charged LTTE of continuing with mass execution of civilians who stand opposed to its separatist cause in the 17 sq.km. land stretch earlier declared as a no fire zone. "The LTTE is cleansing-out all evidences that stand against it in light of a probable trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The entire area under LTTE is now a large torture chamber with almost 38,000 civilians held forcibly and against their will", it said. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #1 The Committee said the number of civilians in the coastal belt held by the LTTE had increased drastically over recent weeks, Taking hostages tends to do that. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2009-03-19 06:09 |