Wednesday, September 24, 2008

'Pain' of Sri Lanka aid pullout

Photo: BBC

'Pain' of Sri Lanka aid pullout
Fears of a humanitarian crisis are mounting in northern Sri Lanka as troops press ahead with an offensive to capture territory from Tamil rebels. A week ago the UN and other agencies pulled out of the area, where more than 200,000 people are displaced by fighting. Here one aid worker describes how hard it was to leave.
During my last weeks in Kilinochchi there was a foreboding sense of a massive army approaching from the south-west.

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Troops are now near Kilinochchi
We left a number of our staff, who could not get passes, behind. We shared tears, we shared the feelings of terror and intense guilt, and we left.
I remember feeling deep shame as I drove past civilians who were watching me from the side of the road, in my ballistic vest, heading for safety, as they stood there in their trousers and shirts and saris. We drove through the site of a fresh air attack on the A9 road and once again saw the devastation it caused and understood what may come for Kilinochchi and its civilian population.
Although I appreciate and respect the security rules that govern aid workers and understand why we had to leave, I still have to deal with a great sense that I abandoned those people. There is the pain and guilt of saying goodbye and good luck to our staff who had worked so hard and with such passion for the victims of war in the Vanni - and leaving them behind.

full article at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7630187.stm

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Friday, September 12, 2008

TAG Webcast #2

http://tamilsagainstgenocide.org/
http://in.youtube.com/user/tagainstgenocide

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Humanitarian Crisis in the Vanni

Humanitarian Crisis in the Vanni
Need for Action by the International Community

http://troonline.net/Humanitarian%20Crisis%20in%20the%20Vanni%20-%201%20Sept%202008.pdf

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