UN in Wanni to relocate after Govt. order

(September 09, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) In the aftermath of the government order issued to all local and international NGOs to vacate the Vanni region the United nations Sri Lanka has decided to relocate its humanitarian staff to government controlled areas, the UN said in a statement.

Here is the full text of the statement;

“The UN in Sri Lanka acknowledges the announcement by the Government of Sri Lanka that they can no longer ensure the safety of aid workers in Vanni, and their request that UN and NGO staff should relocate to government controlled territory. The UN notes that the government holds primary responsibility for ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers.

Further the UN Sri Lanka has also stated that the UN is now evaluating its operations in the area with the view to relocating humanitarian staff. A precise timetable for the complete withdrawal of all staff is yet to be determined, but relocations will begin this week.

The UN remains fully committed to addressing the humanitarian needs of the civilian population in the affected areas, and will continuously monitor the situation to assess how this can be done under the circumstances.
- Sri Lanka Guardian