NGO's Raise Alarm About Plight of Sri Lankan Civilians
By VOA News
21 April 2009
Non-governmental organizations say the fighting in Sri Lanka between government troops and Tamil rebels could lead to many more civilian deaths.
The International Committee of the Red Cross called the situation "catastrophic" and warned of a "dramatic" rise in civilian casualties if the military launches a final assault as it has threatened.
The agency says it is "extremely worried" about the tens of thousands of people still trapped in the northern war zone.
Human Rights Watch is urging the rebels and government forces to show greater concern for the safety of civilians.
And the International Crisis Group has called the situation a "humanitarian tragedy." The group says the war zone is experiencing grave shortages of food, water and medical supplies.
A Sri Lankan security official says the army is waiting for civilians trapped in the war zone to cross over to government-controlled areas, before troops launch an all-out assault on the rebels.
The United Nations has accused the Tamil rebels of using civilians as human shields and preventing them from leaving the war zone. The world body has also said the Sri Lankan army is firing into so-called safe areas.
Each side denies targeting civilians. And the rebels say Tamil civilians do not want to leave because they do not trust the army.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
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