Violence and humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka as Geneva talks loom
Further clashes took place in the north as the government delegation prepared to leave for Switzerland today. The NGO Consortium in Jaffna has denounced the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Colombo (AsiaNews) There is no let up in violence in the north of the country as peace negotiators from the government and Tamil rebels get ready to go to Geneva for talks scheduled to take place on 28 and 29 October. Meanwhile the humanitarian crisis in Jaffna peninsula is worsening, not least because the only road that can be used by heavy vehicles has been shut down, thus preventing the arrival of food supplies.
Last night in Jaffna, a Tamil Tiger cadre was killed by soldiers after he threw a grenade against an army patrol, wounding a soldier. Today the eight-member government delegation left for Switzerland to meet representatives of the Tigers over the weekend in yet another bid after the failure of recent attempts to find a solution to the crisis that erupted in August. The Colombo delegation is led by the Health Minister, Nimal Siripala de Silva.
Meanwhile the four Tamil Tiger representatives left Kilinochchi yesterday, led by the leader of the rebels' political wing, Suppiah Thamilselvan. A government helicopter took them to the international airport accompanied by the ambassador of Norway, mediator of the conflict. The Tiger struggle for independence in the north-east of Sri Lanka has raged since 1983, killing an estimated 65,000 people. A ceasefire signed in 2002 remains valid only on paper.
As clashes rage between the army and separatists in the north-east, it is the civilian population that suffers most, as they endure shelling and an ever more acute food crisis that the Jaffna NGO Consortium drew attention to yesterday. Non-governmental organizations forming part of this umbrella organization complained about the closure of the A9 road for more than 10 weeks. The A9 is the only road that can be used by heavy vehicles, connecting the peninsula to the rest of the country, and its closure is preventing the regular delivery of food and medical provisions. Moreover, supplies sent by the government are not sufficient, meeting only 25% of total needs. Thousands of internally displaced people, according to the Consortium, do not even have reception centres prepared for them. The Consortium said the displaced people and children were facing malnutrition and accused large international NGOs like UNICEF and Save the Children of not doing anything about the tragic situation.
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07/02/2006
