UN keeps its focus on Sri Lanka situation

Source: Xinhua | 05-06-2009 13:14

COLOMBO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The international focus on Sri Lanka's humanitarian situation has grown with an invitation extended by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to visit the island.

Rajapakse's office here Wednesday said that the UN chief had telephoned Rajapakse on Tuesday night.

Rajapakse had invited Moon "to see for himself the situation regarding the action for the accommodation and treatment of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who have recently come to government controlled areas in such large numbers, and plans for their resettlement", a statement said.

The UN chief's phone call with Rajapakse co-incided with an urgent UN appeal for 50 million US dollars to meet the most immediate humanitarian needs.

"The appeal comes at a time when aid agencies and the Government of Sri Lanka are struggling to cope with a sudden rise in displaced crossing into government territory, and as fighting continues over the last pocket of land held by the LTTE", a Colombo UN office statement said.

Signifying international focus on the island, Sri Lanka has been hosting a flurry of foreign dignitaries from Britain, France, Canada, Japan and India since tens of thousands of Tamil civilians crossed over to the government controlled areas from the no fire zone in the island's northeastern battle zone.

The number of displaced under government care have risen from 65,000 to nearly 200,000 in just a few days as a result, the aid agencies say.

The government says they are equipped to handle the issue but wants international help to provide food, water, sanitation, shelter, nutrition, health and protection and educational requirements for thousands of children who have been without schooling for months

The IDPs are being housed in 42 separate sites in four districts in the north. Some 2,000 more injured and accompanying relatives have been accommodated in hospitals.

The military action appears to see an early end with LTTE being limited to an area of just 5 sq km in a narrow coastal strip in the northeastern Mullaithivu district.

The government believes that LTTE's over three decades old armed campaign for a separate Tamil homeland would end forever if the military were able to catch the senior rebel leaders dead or alive.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei