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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern regarding the situation that the sick civilians are facing amidst escalation of fighting in the north. The ICRC said on Thursday that it was unable to take adequate medical supplies to mobile health clinics in the Wanni region because of delays in getting official clearance to cross over to LTTE areas. They further said that they had already taken the matter up with the authorities. "The number of items and the quantities of medicines that we wanted to take have been drastically cut," ICRC spokesman Harsha Gunawardane said. Medecins Sans Frontiers (MSF), another humanitarian aid agency also warned on Monday of serious medicine shortages in the northern region and urged the government to allow supplies in. "The shortage of medications has become so critical that patients are being turned away from hospitals and clinics without receiving the necessary treatment," said Isabel Simpson, MSF (Holland) Head of Mission in Sri Lanka. MSF also complained of security forces preventing the transportation of drugs and medical supplies through military defence lines to Mallavi Hospital in Mullaitivu. However, according to security authorities due to the tightened tension and security measures at check points, supplies to the north are forced to go through numerous checks before crossing over to LTTE areas.
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