The United Nations remains concerned that military operations have continued over the past week in the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka, where an estimated 50,000 people are trapped by fighting between Government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a spokesperson for the world body said.
“According to reports from those remaining inside the conflict zone, fighting has intensified with both light and heavy weapons being used,” UN spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters in New York, citing information from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
According to OCHA, as of today, more than 188,000 people have crossed out of the conflict zone, with the vast majority accommodated in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Vavuniya. Over 186,000 are in camps, and some 1,700 wounded and their caregivers are in hospitals.
“There has been no report of displaced persons on their way to the camps since 27 April, although delays in confirming numbers mean that official counts lag behind realities on the ground,” Ms. Okabe said.
Meanwhile, UN agencies are working to meet the basic needs of the arriving IDPs. The World Food Programme (WFP) has been able to accelerate food distribution in Vavuniya, and the Government of Sri Lanka has agreed that cooked meals should be provided at Omanthai screening point.
In Jaffna, response in the camps has been stepped up in the area of health, including the treatment of chicken pox, the provision of toilets, hygiene kits, temporary teaching space and supplementary food. In addition, work to protect civilians and to facilitate family reunifications is ongoing, the UN reported.
Showing posts with label Srilanka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Srilanka. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Actions by Government forces, rebels possible war crimes – UN rights chief
Sri Lanka: Actions by Government forces, rebels possible war crimes – UN rights chief
The top United Nations human rights official today deplored the mounting deaths and injuries of civilians due to the “bitter” conflict in northern Sri Lanka between Government forces and a rebel group, pointing out that some moves by both sides could amount to war crimes.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that certain actions undertaken by the
Sri Lankan military and by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) could constitute violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
“We need to know more about what is going on, but we know enough to be sure that the situation is absolutely desperate,” she said. “The world today is ever-sensitive about such acts that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Although there is a Government-designated ‘no-fire’ zone for civilians in the Vanni region, repeated shelling has continued inside these areas, according to information made available to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Last week, the UN humanitarian wing said that that the conflict zone has shrank from 300 square kilometres to nearly 58 square kilometres in February, with many civilians – the UN puts their number at between 150,000 and 180,000 – taking refuge in a new 14-square kilometre ‘no-fire zone.’
Other areas where civilians are sheltering have been hit, and OHCHR noted reports that over 2,800 people may have been killed and 7,000 others injured – many in the no-fire zones – since 20 January. Many children are believed to be among the casualties, with hundreds having lost their lives and over 1,000 hurt.
“The current level of civilian casualties is truly shocking, and there are legitimate fears that the loss of life may reach catastrophic levels if the fighting continues this way,” Ms. Pillay said, adding that “very little attention is being focused on this bitter conflict.”
The LTTE is believed to be continuing to hold civilians as human shields and shooting those trying to leave their control. Further, they are reportedly forcibly recruiting civilians, including children, as soldiers.
“The brutal and inhuman treatment of civilians by the LTTE is utterly reprehensible, and should be examined to see if it constitutes war crimes,” the High Commissioner said.
Limited amount of food and essential medial supplies to treat victims are leading to further deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
Ms. Pillay called on both the Government and the LTTE to immediately halt the fighting to allow all civilians to evacuate the conflict zone, urging Sri Lankan authorities to give UN and other independent agencies full access to accurately assess conditions.
Last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly deplored the mounting civilian death and stressed the urgent need for the end of clashes.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban repeated his call to the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to “suspend hostilities for the purposes of allowing civilians to leave the conflict zone, and allowing immediate humanitarian access to them.”
The top United Nations human rights official today deplored the mounting deaths and injuries of civilians due to the “bitter” conflict in northern Sri Lanka between Government forces and a rebel group, pointing out that some moves by both sides could amount to war crimes.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said that certain actions undertaken by the
Sri Lankan military and by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) could constitute violations of international human rights and humanitarian law.
“We need to know more about what is going on, but we know enough to be sure that the situation is absolutely desperate,” she said. “The world today is ever-sensitive about such acts that could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
Although there is a Government-designated ‘no-fire’ zone for civilians in the Vanni region, repeated shelling has continued inside these areas, according to information made available to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
Last week, the UN humanitarian wing said that that the conflict zone has shrank from 300 square kilometres to nearly 58 square kilometres in February, with many civilians – the UN puts their number at between 150,000 and 180,000 – taking refuge in a new 14-square kilometre ‘no-fire zone.’
Other areas where civilians are sheltering have been hit, and OHCHR noted reports that over 2,800 people may have been killed and 7,000 others injured – many in the no-fire zones – since 20 January. Many children are believed to be among the casualties, with hundreds having lost their lives and over 1,000 hurt.
“The current level of civilian casualties is truly shocking, and there are legitimate fears that the loss of life may reach catastrophic levels if the fighting continues this way,” Ms. Pillay said, adding that “very little attention is being focused on this bitter conflict.”
The LTTE is believed to be continuing to hold civilians as human shields and shooting those trying to leave their control. Further, they are reportedly forcibly recruiting civilians, including children, as soldiers.
“The brutal and inhuman treatment of civilians by the LTTE is utterly reprehensible, and should be examined to see if it constitutes war crimes,” the High Commissioner said.
Limited amount of food and essential medial supplies to treat victims are leading to further deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
Ms. Pillay called on both the Government and the LTTE to immediately halt the fighting to allow all civilians to evacuate the conflict zone, urging Sri Lankan authorities to give UN and other independent agencies full access to accurately assess conditions.
Last week, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly deplored the mounting civilian death and stressed the urgent need for the end of clashes.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban repeated his call to the Sri Lankan Government and the LTTE to “suspend hostilities for the purposes of allowing civilians to leave the conflict zone, and allowing immediate humanitarian access to them.”
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Sri Lanka: UN official concerned over shelling of hospital, worsening civilian plight
A United Nations humanitarian spokesman in Sri Lanka today voiced concern over the shelling of a hospital in the zone of fighting between the Government and rebel forces, emphasizing the ever-increasing threat to the lives of some 250,000 civilians trapped by the conflict.
Gordon Weiss of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the hospital, in the north-east of the island nation, was shelled numerous times over the past day, resulting in the killing of 11 people altogether, including one nurse.
Mr. Weiss said that it is uncertain where the shellfire came from but that his office had notified both the Government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) about the damage, but the strikes have not halted.
The hospital has around 600 patients, with new people arriving all the time of which hundreds are critically injured and cannot be treated. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is trying to negotiate a new convoy out of the area and into Government-controlled territory, where the patients can be treated properly, Mr. Weiss said.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) is continuing negotiations with the Government to secure an adequate window for the next humanitarian convoy into the area, though no convoy has gotten in since last week, according to OCHA.
The main priority of the UN right now is preserving the lives of the trapped civilians, Mr. Weiss told the UN News Centre in an interview over the weekend.
“Of course, the priority is to get in humanitarian aid, getting food and medicines to these people. There are four hospitals, so we need to make sure that they are adequately stocked with medicines,” he said. “But, primarily, this is a question of preserving life.”
He said that many have been displaced for up to a year by fighting, some 10 or 15 times, and they lack proper shelter and steady food.
“Certainly their medical facilities are under extraordinary pressure with the number of casualties they are dealing with just in the past few weeks as the fighting has pressed them into the last remaining pocket of territory,” he added.
He stressed that in the last two weeks alone there had been a great loss of civilian lives, with UN staff witnessing the death and wounding of dozens a week earlier.
The fighting has been bad during the past 25 years of the conflict, he said, but stressed, “This is the first time that such a large number of civilians have been caught in the theatre of combat from which they can’t escape.”
Last week Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced a safe passage for the trapped civilians, issuing a unilateral declaration that the LTTE had 48 hours to leave the combat zone, but Mr. Weiss cautioned it remains to be seen whether the rebels will allow people to leave.
They have long maintained a very tight control system using passes and as far as UN staff knows, it still remains in place, he said.
“Regardless of whether they move or not, according to laws of war, international humanitarian law, both parties are obliged to restrain from actions that will cause unnecessary deaths and suffering,” he emphasized.
Gordon Weiss of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the hospital, in the north-east of the island nation, was shelled numerous times over the past day, resulting in the killing of 11 people altogether, including one nurse.
Mr. Weiss said that it is uncertain where the shellfire came from but that his office had notified both the Government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) about the damage, but the strikes have not halted.
The hospital has around 600 patients, with new people arriving all the time of which hundreds are critically injured and cannot be treated. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is trying to negotiate a new convoy out of the area and into Government-controlled territory, where the patients can be treated properly, Mr. Weiss said.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) is continuing negotiations with the Government to secure an adequate window for the next humanitarian convoy into the area, though no convoy has gotten in since last week, according to OCHA.
The main priority of the UN right now is preserving the lives of the trapped civilians, Mr. Weiss told the UN News Centre in an interview over the weekend.
“Of course, the priority is to get in humanitarian aid, getting food and medicines to these people. There are four hospitals, so we need to make sure that they are adequately stocked with medicines,” he said. “But, primarily, this is a question of preserving life.”
He said that many have been displaced for up to a year by fighting, some 10 or 15 times, and they lack proper shelter and steady food.
“Certainly their medical facilities are under extraordinary pressure with the number of casualties they are dealing with just in the past few weeks as the fighting has pressed them into the last remaining pocket of territory,” he added.
He stressed that in the last two weeks alone there had been a great loss of civilian lives, with UN staff witnessing the death and wounding of dozens a week earlier.
The fighting has been bad during the past 25 years of the conflict, he said, but stressed, “This is the first time that such a large number of civilians have been caught in the theatre of combat from which they can’t escape.”
Last week Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced a safe passage for the trapped civilians, issuing a unilateral declaration that the LTTE had 48 hours to leave the combat zone, but Mr. Weiss cautioned it remains to be seen whether the rebels will allow people to leave.
They have long maintained a very tight control system using passes and as far as UN staff knows, it still remains in place, he said.
“Regardless of whether they move or not, according to laws of war, international humanitarian law, both parties are obliged to restrain from actions that will cause unnecessary deaths and suffering,” he emphasized.
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