HEAVY FIGHTING, ALONG WITH CASUALTIES, CONTINUE IN SRI LANKA CONFLICT ZONE – UN

HEAVY FIGHTING, ALONG WITH CASUALTIES, CONTINUE IN SRI LANKA CONFLICT ZONE – UN
New York, May 13 2009 4:00PM
Heavy fighting between Government forces and Tamil rebels is reportedly continuing in the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka, with heavy casualties, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/">OCHA).

This follows weekend clashes in the area between the army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in which hundreds of Sri Lankan civilians were killed.

The UN estimates that over 50,000 people remain in the conflict zone, a shrinking pocket of land on the northern coastline, while more than 196,000 people have managed to leave and crossed to Government-controlled areas.

OCHA said it has been informed by the Government of Sri Lanka that it will soon issue identification cards to the internally displaced persons (IDPs) once the registration process is completed, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told a news conference in New York.

The cards will allow for IDPs to travel outside camp locations for employment, purchasing provisions and other essential activities. Currently over 20,000 IDPs have already registered for IDs and the process is ongoing.

Since the recent large influx of IDPs, many of the camp management duties have been taken over by the military.

"The UN continues to emphasize the need for the camps to be managed by civilians, and reiterates the need for more civilian police, including women police and police from the Tamil community," said Ms. Montas.

Also today, an International Committee of the Red Cross-flagged ship carrying 25 metric tons of food turned back due to fighting in the conflict zone, for the second time in as many days.

An additional 500-ton shipment of mixed food commodities is ready for departure from Trincomalee later today, and another shipment of 25 tons of food is planned for Thursday.
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