The government and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are discussing a major sea-evacuation plan for an estimated 25,000, displaced people now gathered in the coastal front of Mullaitivu, the government and the ICRC confirmed yesterday.
The ICRC’s Colombo spokesperson Sophie Romanes said yesterday they were having talks both with the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on the move to evacuate the civilians.
“We are ready for it. We are appealing to both parties involved in the conflict to allow civilians to enter the safe zone,” she said.
Resettlement Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said yesterday the Defence Ministry was discussing the evacuation plans with the ICRC.
The move comes as hundreds of civilians trapped in the LTTE controlled area were moving towards a 12 kilometre safe zone along the coastal line declared by the government.
Kilinochchi’s Regional Health Director Dr. T. Sathyamoorthy, now operating in a makeshift medical centre in Mathalan, a coastal area of Mullaitivu, said yesterday that the safe zone was already overcrowded with civilians with hardly any space for new arrivals.
Speaking from Mullaitivu by telephone, he said that despite the limited space available, people were continuing to move towards the coastal area which lacked sufficient drinking water and shelter.
“This is an open space where there aren’t even trees for shade,” he said.
The health director said the area was already lacking medical supplies and food and the civilians needed to be urgently evacuated fast.
The ICRC this week evacuated more than 700 injured or sick people and others from the coastal village of Puthiyamathalan which is within the safe zone. Earlier this week, the LTTE had directed the displaced civilians to move towards the coastal line of Mullaitivu.
Accordingly, the government also moved the previous safe zone located inland into the coast.
LTTE attacks refugee bus; one killed
A 59-year-old woman was killed and 13 were wounded when the LTTE attacked a bus at Puliyankulam in Vavuniya early yesterday.
Military Spokesman Udaya Nanayakkara said the attack was carried out on the bus taking Internally Displaced people to Vavuniya from Kilinochchi. LTTE cadres had lobbed a grenade at the bus around 1.30 a.m. and opened fire, he said. |
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