Sri Lanka: growing UN concern as civilians in ‘safe zone’ come under fire

The United Nations has called on Sri Lankan Government forces and rebels to refrain from fighting in areas of civilian concentration, following reports that weekend clashes in a so-called safe zone in the northern Vanni region has led to more deaths and injuries.

“The UN calls on both sides to find an orderly and humane solution so that civilians – and children in particular – can be spared further bloodshed and loss of life due to both disease and the fighting,” the UN Country Team said in a statement issued yesterday in Colombo.

Ongoing fighting in the north of the South Asian island nation between Government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has trapped some 250,000 civilians.

A new “safe zone” was set up recently along the western boundary of the Mullaitivu Lagoon, which includes areas where UN staff and their dependents are staying.

“The designation of the new safe zone has provided some respite for the tens of thousands of civilians trapped for weeks by heavy fighting which has killed and injured many people,” the statement noted.

However, reports from Sunday indicated that there was some fighting inside the zone, which “led to the deaths and injury to yet more civilians.”

The LTTE continues to actively prevent people leaving, and reports indicate that a growing number of people trying to leave have been shot and sometimes killed, the statement said, adding that there are indications that children as young as 14 are being recruited into the ranks of the LTTE.

In addition, 15 UN staff and 75 of their dependents, 75 of whom are women and children, remain in the same area, having also been prevented from leaving by the LTTE. OCHA noted that 15 of the 40 children in that group have contracted respiratory diseases, a serious indicator for a population which is now in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

“We are acutely aware that the suffering of our own UN staff and dependents is just one part of a much larger picture. However, their release would be a good gesture and would strengthen the capacity of the UN to assist the tens of thousands of people both inside the Vanni pocket, and the approximately 30,000 IDPs [internally displaced persons] who have left for Government-held areas.”

OCHA said that many of these staff played an important role in helping with the distribution of 8,400 of tons of food to the civilians of the Vanni over the past four months. Tens of thousands of civilians in the area are facing serious shortages of food, medicine, and clean water, and as a result increasing numbers are becoming ill.

The statement also voiced concern that one staff member was reported forcibly recruited into the LTTE on Sunday. “The UN calls on the LTTE to immediately release him, to desist from further recruitment of civilians, and to permit passage for people who wish to leave, especially the women and children.”