Posts Tagged ‘UN’
SRI LANKA: Civilian death toll rises as fighting continues
[IRIN] As Sri Lankan government troops close in on the rebel Tamil Tigers, the UN has reported a rising number of civilian deaths in the northern battle zone. At least 52 people were killed in shelling in Suranthapuram village in the northeastern district of Mullaitivu when the area came under 16 hours of heavy shelling,…
Read MoreUN: Cluster bombs hit hospital in Sri Lanka
[AP] Cluster bombs struck the last functioning hospital in Sri Lanka’s northern war zone Wednesday, the U.N. said, as the country’s president declared that the military has nearly crushed a 25-year Tamil rebellion for a separate homeland. U.N. spokesman Gordon Weiss said 15 U.N. staffers and 81 family members are trapped in the Puthukkudiyiruppu area,…
Read MoreDeadly strike on S Lanka hospital
[BBC] The UN in Sri Lanka says many people – including children – have been killed by shells landing on a hospital in rebel-held territory in the north-east. UN spokesman Gordon Weiss told the BBC the shells had hit a crowded pediatric unit. It is not clear who fired them. Earlier the Red Cross said…
Read MoreU.N. demands safety for Sri Lankan civilians
[CNN] Mounting violence between rebel fighters and government troops along northern Sri Lanka has prompted U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to call for the safety of civilians as humanitarian groups try to provide aid to some 250,000 people trapped in the region. “The secretary-general is deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians caught in…
Read MoreEU officials voice concern at ‘humanitarian crisis’ in Sri Lanka
[AFP] EU officials told Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama of their concern at the “humanitarian crisis” in the north of the country, especially “the rising civilian casualties in the conflict zone.” EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner underlined that “international standards must be respected” and that unrestricted access be provided for the UN and…
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