| UN demands protection of civilians – Sri Lankan Army restricting the movements of tamil civilians |
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The United Nations on Tuesday urged Sri Lanka's warring parties to ensure protection of civilians and their freedom of movement, and unimpeded access for international humanitarian actors to the north and east of the country.
"The United Nations is gravely concerned at the deteriorating prospects facing civilians in the Vakarai area as intense shelling continues for the fifth day in the area," said a statement of the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator country office in Colombo. "An unconfirmed number of civilians are dead with dozens lying wounded at Vakarai hospital. Innocent civilians and school children suffered direct attacks on a school and private homes," said the statement. The statement also lamented that some 2,500 civilians were displaced and about 35,000 people remained trapped along a sliver of land where government forces and the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) are engaged in a military campaign. "The United Nations is deeply concerned about indiscriminate shelling of civilian residential areas, leading to death, injuries and evacuation of communities to Kantale and surrounding areas, out of danger zones," said the statement. The statement said humanitarian agencies are delivering immediate assistance to the affected population and stand ready to undertake humanitarian response operations to address evolving needs. It urged stop of direct shelling on areas where civilians reside and asked the two parties to grant civilians with full and unhindered freedom of movement away from military operations. "The wounded need to be evacuated and assistance and protection to the civilian population must be guaranteed," the statement stressed. The clashes escalated after the Norwegian special peace envoy Jon Hanssen-Bauer failed on Friday to break the deadlock between the warring parties. |
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