The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has stepped in to actions in the conflict ridden northern Sri Lanka and helped 226 sick and wounded civilians to come out of the Vanni region for medical attention in Vavuniya Hospital in the government-controlled locality.
"The wounded and sick had to wait for days before being transferred safely. It had become critical that they receive medical treatment immediately," said Paul Castella, head of the ICRC delegation in Colombo.
The patients, who were accompanied by family members, travelled in three ambulances and four buses. The convoy was escorted by the ICRC over a stretch of four kilometres between areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and by the Lankan government.
Paul Castella argued for more such convoys, so that the sick and wounded will have access to vital medical treatment and humanitarian aid adding that 'despite formidable obstacles it is possible to help people protected under international humanitarian law'.
Speaking to this writer Stephanie Bouaziz, the New Delhi based communication coordinator of ICRC however admitted that the overall humanitarian situation remains critical for thousands of people. Food stocks have been depleted and sustainable ways of producing food locally have become almost non-existent. It is therefore vitally important and urgent that the parties to the conflict continue to allow humanitarian organizations to bring food into the Vanni, she added.
Meanwhile, Colombo has declared that the government would not proceed for a ceasefire with the militant outfit. Quoting the Lankan Human Rights minister Mahinda Samarasinghe, the local media on January 30 reported as saying, "There will be no ceasefire." The government will continue with the military operations until the areas under LTTE have not been liberated, he added.
Earlier Indian Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee urged the Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksa to ensure the security of Tamil civilians, who had been trapped in the crossfire. The Lankan government also reciprocated that it would ensure safe passage for the trapped civilians out of the conflict zone. The Lankan president had also appealed the LTTE to 'allow free movement of civilians to ensure their safety and security'.
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