By Lalith Ganhewa in Berlin for Sri Lanka Guardian
(January 23, Berlin, Sri Lanka Guardian) The German Foreign Office says due to the continuation of the heavy fighting between the Sri Lanka government and the LTTE rebels, currently well over 300,000 civilians are cut off from receiving international any humanitarian aid, within a stretch of about roughly 30 km in the northeast coastline of the country. This was stated in a media release in Berlin.Referring to the background of the deteriorating humanitarian situation, the German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Berlin today:
"The Federal Government is deeply concerned about the situation in Sri Lanka. Everything is lacking to over 300,000 refugees in the rebel held areas. They are completely cut off from international aid for more than ten days. The most important thing now is to agree on a ceasefire so that relief and medical supplies can be facilitated to the civilian population in the disputed areas".
"I urge conflicting parties to come to an urgent political solution; as this conflict in the country can not be solved only by military means".
Since the revocation of the ceasefire in early 2006, the fighting between the government and the LTTE rebels intensified, where the government now occupies the earlier rebel heald areas up to Mullaitivu, in the northeast of Sri Lanka.
In Sept. 2008 the Sri Lankan Government ordered the International aid agencies to vacate the combat zones. The World Food Program of the United Nations (WFP), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is the only relief organization operating in the battle field. All attempts by the ICRC to negotiate with the conflicting parties to arrange corridors for the transportation of relief supplies or to set up small secure zones, have failed.
To support those who have been able to flee the battle zones into secure areas and for those civilians who are still caught in the conflict, the German Foreign Office has made an additional one million euros available to the International Red Cross ICRC.
Since 2006 German Foreign Office has made a total of 5.9 million Euros available to support the victims of the conflict areas.
The German development cooperation has restricted its development work since the resumption of the war.
In another press release the United Nations Thursday (22.1) strongly condemned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for not allowing its staff members to return from the rebel-held northern Wanni area and urged them to be released immediately.
The UN in their statement 'issued its strongest possible protest to the LTTE for their refusal to allow UN national staff and dependents to return from the Wanni with the present UN convoy' carrying food and other essential items to the people in the rebel-held areas.
'The staff is part of a UN convoy which travelled to the Wanni on Friday 16 January, delivering urgent food and emergency supplies to displaced populations. Due to fighting between the LTTE and government forces, this convoy has only been able to move safely today,' the UN statement said.
UN convoys have brought over 7,000 tonnes of vital food and relief supplies to displaced population in the north in eleven convoys, since last October.
The UN statement said that the LTTE's 'denial of safe passage is a clear abrogation of their obligations under international humanitarian law' and urged the LTTE to meet their responsibilities and immediately permit all UN staff and dependants to freely move from this area.
Since January this year, the Government troops have captured major LTTE strongholds including Kilinochchi, Paranthan, Elephant Pass and Muhamalai and pushed the LTTE rebels into a small area in the district of Mullaitivu. The Government Forces have taken full control of the 325 Km long A-9 Jaffna-Kandy main highway after 23 years.
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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