ZOA Refused Media Allegation

(September 28, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) ZOA Refugee Care Sri Lanka Referring to an article in one of Sri Lanka’s newspapers which states that ZOA’s Kilinochchi Programme Manager has joined the LTTE as a fighter, ZOA wishes to state that this is completely incorrect and groundless, Bernard Jaspers Faijer, Country Director of the ZOA said in a press statement.

According to the statement received by Sri Lanka Guardian, “the government has given instructions to all UN-agencies and INGOs working in the Vanni to relocate their humanitarian and development operations to Vavuniya before Monday 29 September2008.”

“In compliance with the government’s instructions ZOA has relocated the concerned Programme Manager, its only international staff member in the region, to Vavuniya and he reported to work at ZOA’s Vavuniya office on Friday 26 September,” the statement added.
“The Programme Manager and other ZOA employees in Vanni were solely involved in humanitarian aid, like distribution of food and shelter materials to the many displaced civilians.” - Sri Lanka Guardian