NRC concerned over increasing needs of newly displaced people in Sri Lanka
Astrid Sehl
Website: http://www.nrc.no
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
There is an increasing need for assistance to newly displaced people in Sri Lanka, says the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). The humanitarian organisation warns that the ongoing violence will lead to further displacements after one year of escalating conflict.
- Innocent civilians are caught in the middle of the conflict as violence continues to rise. Our intention is purely to alleviate the suffering of these vulnerable populations, said Secretary General Tomas C. Archer.
Over 15,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) fleeing the conflict in Vaharai and Seruvila divisions in Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts have been supported by NRC in cooperation with the European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) through a wide range of humanitarian aid interventions like emergency shelter, water and sanitation, and distribution of food and non-food relief items.
In spite of the assistance provided by humanitarian agencies, tens of thousands of IDPs are still left without relief, due to lack of access to conflict areas and restricted movement out of these areas for civilians.
The UN has urged the parties to the conflict to adhere to their responsibilities under international humanitarian law to ensure protection of civilians and their freedom of movement, and unimpeded and secure access for international humanitarian actors to the north and east of the country.
- NRC is ready to undertake further humanitarian response operations as the needs evolve, Archer said.
The armed conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has escalated dramatically since the beginning of 2006. An estimated 1,200 civilians having been killed and over 200,000 internally displaced, in addition to the hundreds of thousands uprooted earlier on in the conflict and by the tsunami of December 2004.
Media spokespersons:
NRC Sri Lanka, Chris Bleers, tel +94 773 207 703
NRC Oslo, Rolf Vestvik, tel +47 48 89 33 13
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
