More than 100,000 civilians in safe zone, ICRC suspends Vanni missions

[TamilNet, Friday, 15 May 2009, ] "Unless an external humanitarian intervention is carried out without delay, it would be difficult to avert an inhuman catastrophe," said a volunteer doctor appointed by the LTTE to serve the civilians within the so-called safety zone, Friday afternoon. "The ICRC has abandoned its missions, there is no food, no proper access to potable water to tens of thousands of civilians who are forced to stay under the bunkers, surrounded by dead bodies and wounded civilians who are dying without medical help," the medics doctor told TamilNet through a satellite phone. The Sri Lankan forces are deploying superior fire power and advancing along the coastal line deploying cluster munitions and shells causing immediate fire. The doctor has seen at least 800 dead bodies within the area where he has been able to move while trying to help the wounded civilians. Meanwhile, an spokesperson with the ICRC in Colombo confirmed that the ICRC had stopped all missions as it was unable to reach the shore due to continuous shelling. Sri Lankan military sources in Colombo said 6,000 civilians have been captured by the military Friday in addition to 2,750 civilians on Thursday. An oil dump was hit in SLA artillery fire, according to the military sources.

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