Submitted by crinadmin on
United Nations officials have voiced their distress at the impact on children of the ongoing conflict in northern Sri Lanka, urging both the Government and Tamil rebels to ensure the protection of the most vulnerable. Thousands of civilians, including many children, have been killed or injured in the fighting since the beginning of the year, UNICEF noted in a news release. UNICEF’s Regional Director for South Asia, Daniel Toole, said that with an estimated 50,000 civilians trapped in the conflict zone – a tiny space of just a few square kilometres – the agency fears that many more children will be killed if the current Government offensive continues and if the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) refuses to allow civilians to leave. “This latest surge in fighting is a catastrophe for children and shows a complete disregard for these most vulnerable of civilians,” said Mr. Toole. UNICEF reiterated its appeal to the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to allow civilians to leave the conflict zone and to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. Meanwhile, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict said today she is “horrified” at the deteriorating crisis in Sri Lanka and its serious toll on children. “The current situation is dreadful and cannot continue. Children should not be held hostage, recruited as child soldiers and put in harm’s way,” stressed Radhika Coomaraswamy. She added that all children should immediately be released by the LTTE and placed in a protected area with their primary caregivers, away from the fighting. In addition, both the rebels and the Government should refrain from using artillery and observe military forbearance. Ms. Coomaraswamy is negotiating with the Government to allow a special envoy to visit Sri Lanka to assess the situation of children first hand. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq reported that fighting in the conflict zone is continuing. Shelling of the makeshift hospital in Mullivaikkal today reportedly resulted in loss of life and injuries among civilians. In the last 48 hours, just over 1,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have crossed from the conflict zone and reached Omanthai, adding to the more than 196,000 people that have crossed to the Government-controlled areas so far. The World Food Programme (WFP) said today it is providing food assistance to more than 190,000 people in temporary transit centres in Vavuniya and Jaffa districts. At the same time, today’s shipment of 25 metric tons of WFP food commodities dispatched to the conflict zone from Trincomalee did not reach the area due to intense fighting. Further information