Reacting to a bombing in Sri Lanka on Monday that reportedly killed dozens of children and wounded many more, two senior United Nations officials added their voices to growing international calls for the Government and separatist rebels to lay down their arms and resume talks.

Tens of thousands of Sri Lankans have been forced to flee their homes because of the escalating violence in the northeast of the country, the United Nations refugee agency said today as it warned that many more have probably been displaced but cannot be reached by humanitarian groups because of the continued fighting.

The United Nations today strongly condemned the execution-style killings of 15 aid workers from French organization Action against Hunger in northeastern Sri Lanka, calling on the authorities to apprehend those responsible and urging an immediate cessation of hostilities between Tamil separatists and the Government on the strife-torn island.

Expressing deep concern about increasing violence in Sri Lanka, particularly the escalation caused by a water dispute in the northeast, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on all sides to cease hostilities immediately, allow humanitarian agencies unimpeded access to those affected and resume peace talks.