The UN has dispatched its top humanitarian official to Sri Lanka to push for more protection for civilians caught in fighting between government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels.
John Holmes' three-day mission will focus on pushing the government to facilitate humanitarian missions in and around the conflict zone and to allow proper access to tens of thousands of displaced civilians, the UN said.
The plight and suffering of those caught in the fighting prompted US President Barack Obama's administration to urge an end to hostilities.
‘We call on both sides to stop fighting immediately and allow civilians to safely leave the combat zone,’ the White House said in a statement.
The Sri Lankan government has so far resisted all calls to halt an offensive that is now on the brink of wiping out the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
The White House specifically demanded an end to any shelling in a designated ‘safe zone’ and access for aid groups and journalists to civilians who have escaped.
The LTTE issued their own call for foreign intervention, warning of ‘imminent’ starvation among civilians.
It is not clear how many people are trapped in the small rebel-held area.
The UN has estimated the number at 50,000, while the government says it is closer 15,000-20,000.
The Tigers insist the real figure is 165,000.
Sri Lanka's military success has come at a huge cost to civilians, rights groups say, with the UN estimating as many as 6,500 non-combatants may have been killed and another 14,000 wounded in the fighting so far this year.
