Sri Lanka Tigers say civilian starvation 'imminent'
Last Updated: Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:26:00 +1000
In Sri Lanka Tamil Tiger rebels say 165 thousand civilians still living in the small area under their control are nearly out of food.
Comparing the situation to the crisis in Darfur the LTTE in a statement says starvation among innocent people is "imminent" and accuses the government of blocking supplies.
Land routes leading to the rebel area have been blocked by the military, leaving sea transport the only option to deliver food and medicine.
It is not clear how many people are still trapped in the small rebel-held area, with the UN putting the number at 50 thousand and the government at around 20 thousand.
Meanwhile the Tigers say they are looking forward to the scheduled visit by UN rights chief John Holmes so as to engage in a constructive dialogue to address the humanitarian crisis.
