Amnesty in urgent Sri Lanka plea
[ BBC ]
Amnesty International has appealed to Sri Lanka’s government to allow aid to reach more than 300,000 people displaced by fighting in the north. The human rights group urged both the government and Tamil Tiger rebels to allow international monitors into the northern Wanni region. There has been intense fighting in the area over recent weeks. Amnesty says that thousands of people displaced by the conflict are currently “in desperate need of shelter, food and sanitation”. “As the north-east monsoon season approaches, only 2,100 temporary shelters for 4,000 families have been provided, leaving at least 20,000 families in need of protection from the elements,” a statement released by the group says.