COLOMBO, 10 February 2009 (IRIN) - A suicide attack near an internally displaced persons (IDP) registration centre in Sri Lanka's northeastern combat zone on 9 February, which killed 30 people and wounded dozens more, has drawn international and local condemnation.

"The UN deplores the attack that killed and endangered the lives of innocent civilians, especially those fleeing the fighting," Gordon Weiss, UN spokesman in Sri Lanka, told IRIN (see http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/VDUX-7P4RKK?OpenDocument&rc=3&cc=lka).

"Attacks like these add to the dangers of an already precarious situation faced by these innocent people."

The Sri Lanka military said a female cadre from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) triggered the explosives she was carrying when she was body-searched at Visvamadhu, a small town just west of the combat zone at 11.30am on 9 February.

More than 60 people, including 40 civilians, were injured in the attack. The army said at least 15 children were among the injured.

In a statement, the US embassy in Sri Lanka said the LTTE had attempted through the attack to dissuade civilians from fleeing areas under its control.

"This apparent effort by the LTTE to discourage Tamils from leaving the conflict area killed and wounded many Tamil civilians," it stated.

"The United States calls on the LTTE to allow all civilians freedom of movement." President Mahinda Rajapakse said the attack was an attempt to scare civilians against fleeing the conflict zones (see http://defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20090209_12).

Thousands flee

The attack took place in an area where thousands of civilians had crossed over between 6 and 9 February. On the day of the attack, 6,599 civilians reached government areas, the highest daily figure since December when fighting escalated. During the four days, more than 21,000 reached safety, according to Army data.

"More civilians are expected to cross over," Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, the military spokesman, told IRIN on 9 January.

According to the UN, more than 250,000 civilians had been trapped in the fighting in Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts, about 300km north of Colombo. Government officials estimate the number of trapped civilians at between 100,000 and 120,000 now. Sea evacuation

Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) - the only international agency still inside the combat zones - said it was holding talks with the government and the LTTE to secure safe passage for about 400 wounded and sick civilians in Putumatalan, a coastal village inside the combat zone. They had relocated to the village when the Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital was hit by shellfire between 1 and 3 February and staff and patients were forced to evacuate.

"One of the options we are looking at is a sea evacuation," Sarasi Wijeratne, ICRC spokesperson, told IRIN. "The situation inside the combat zones is deteriorating fast. There are serious concerns over hygiene and shelter and people are moving inside the shrinking battle zones looking for safety." (See http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/EDIS-7P4N7J?OpenDocument&rc=3&cc=lka).

Convoys delayed

The World Food Programme (WFP), which has been transporting food to civilians in the combat zones since the UN relocation, said in a statement on 6 February (see http://reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-7NZHNN?OpenDocument&rc=3&emid=ACOS-635PHK) that food supplies were running low for the trapped civilians.

"A lack of sufficient security guarantees has prevented further WFP convoys leaving for [combat areas in the] Vanni [since 16 January]," the agency said. "WFP continues to discuss with the Sri Lankan army and other humanitarian partners to come up with innovative solutions to continue supplying the much needed food assistance to the displaced without unacceptable level of risk to its staff and assets."

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