UN humanitarian chief urges greater action to save civilians in Sri Lanka

(COLOMBO/GENEVA/NEW YORK, 21 February 2009): Wrapping up a three-day visit to Sri Lanka, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) John Holmes, urged the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to intensify efforts to prevent the continuing civilian casualties and to protect the civilian population trapped in a small pocket of land held by LTTE fighters and surrounded by Government forces. "I came because I am desperately concerned about this humanitarian situation. Tens of thousands of civilians have been cut off from outside food supplies for weeks, have limited medical care and are in extreme danger because of the continued fighting," Mr. Holmes said.

The ERC called on the LTTE to free civilians kept in the remaining combat zone against their will, and to stop forced recruitment, particularly of children. He also pressed the Government to ensure a peaceful, orderly and humane end to what appears to be a decisive stage of the conflict.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Holmes met with Sri Lanka's President Rajapaksa. He made clear his condemnation of the LTTE attack on Colombo the previous night and expressed his sympathy for the families of the victims. They discussed the plight of those still trapped in the Vanni and agreed that urgently needed food and medical supplies would be stepped up. In other constructive meetings with senior government ministers and officials, including the Senior Advisor to the President, the Defense Secretary and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Disaster Management and Human Rights, and Resettlement, the UN humanitarian chief also raised the need for reception and care arrangements for those crossing battle lines into Government controlled areas to meet the relevant international standards and principles.

On Friday, Mr. Holmes visited Vavuniya, just south of the conflict area, where more than 30,000 people had arrived over recent weeks. He found that most were mentally and physically exhausted after weeks of sheltering in makeshift bunkers but that their basic needs were being catered for. Mr. Holmes welcomed the increasingly good cooperation between Government officials, UN agencies and NGOs in providing urgent food, shelter and medical help, and noted the key challenges ahead, including rapid and transparent registration procedures, reinforcing the civilian nature of the camps, facilitating family reunification and greater freedom of movement, and ensuring the earliest possible return of IDPs to their homes. He welcomed government assurances on all these issues, and the increasingly full access for agencies and NGOs to the transit centres and camps.

The ERC also announced a $10 million contribution from the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help meet urgent humanitarian needs for those fleeing the conflict.

For further information, please call:

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1917 892 1679, bunker@un.org;
Nicholas Reader +1 212 963 4961, mobile +1 646 752 3117,reader@un.org;
John Nyaga,+ 1 917 367 9262, mobile +1 917 318 8917, nyagaj@un.org;
Elisabeth Byrs OCHA-Geneva,+41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570, byrs@un.org.

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or http://www.reliefweb.int.