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Thursday, January 22, 2009 - 11.28 GMT |
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Give safe passage to staff - UN warns
LTTE
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In a strongly worded statement the United
Nations has called on the LTTE to
immediately permit all UN staff and
dependents to freely move from the Vanni,
warning that denial of safe passage is a
clear abrogation of their obligations under
international humanitarian law.
The United Nations today issued its
strongest possible protest to the LTTE for
their refusal to allow UN national staff and
dependents to return from the Vanni with the
present UN convoy.
The UN statement issued by the Office of the
Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Colombo
today (22) said: "The staff are a part of a
UN convoy which traveled to the Vanni on
January 16 delivering urgent food and
emergency supplies to displaced populations.
Due to fighting between the LTTE and
Government forces, this convoy has only been
able to move safely today.
The UN calls on the LTTE to meet their
responsibilities and immediately permit all
UN staff and dependents to freely move from
this area. The LTTE's denial of safe passage
is a clear abrogation of their obligations
under international humanitarian law.
The present convoy is the eleventh to take
supplies to those people trapped in the
midst of fighting in Vanni. Since early
October UN convoys have brought
approximately 7,000 tons of vital relief
supplies to displaced populations.
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