50,000 still trapped in conflict zone in Lanka

New York, May 7 (PTI) More than 192,000 people have fled
the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka with continuing
clashes between the government forces and the Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the United Nations says.

Although the number of registered internally displaced
persons (IDPs) has increased, it is not due to new arrivals,
and there are still no reports of more people in transit for
days, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
reported (OCHA).

OCHA estimates that around 50,000 people remain trapped
in the conflict zone, a shrinking pocket of land on the
north-east coastline, and that they are in dire need of food
aid and medical supplies.

The UN and the Sri Lanka government announced on Tuesday
that they are seeking USD 50 million to address the urgent
needs of up to 250,000 displaced persons over the next three
months.

OCHA said yesterday that as a result of increased
humanitarian needs due to the large-scale influx of IDPs from
the conflict area and the continuing high level of needs of
those still trapped in the area of fighting, the Country Team
in Sri Lanka has re-prioritised its funding requirements.

It spells out the kind of funding urgently required to
help IDPs currently accommodated in the country’s northern
districts of Vavuniya, Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee, and
reiterates the need for continued assistance for those still
in the conflict zone.

A 30 metric ton food consignment is expected to be loaded
aboard the International Red Cross boat that will sail to the
conflict zone and deliver food to the civilian population
still trapped there, OCHA reported. PTI DS
SAK
NNNN