LTTE terrorists have prevented tens of thousands of civilians from leaving Sri Lanka's war zone and those trying to escape have been "shot and sometimes killed," the United Nations said Monday (16).

The LTTE is holding non-combatants in the small patch of jungle in the north of the island where they have been cornered by government forces, it added.

The LTTE continues to actively prevent people leaving, and reports indicate that a growing number of people trying to leave have been shot and sometimes killed”… adding that the LTTE is also recruiting child soldiers as young as 14 years old, the statement from the UN Office of the UN Resident /Humanitarian Coordinator in Colombo, said.

“Fifteen United Nations staff and 75 of their dependents, 40 of whom are children, and 35 who are women , remain in the same area [held by the LTTE] prevented from leaving by the LTTE. Fifteen of these children have contracted respiratory diseases, a serious indicator for a population which is now in dire need of humanitarian assistance,” the UN Office said.

“We are especially concerned that one staff member was forcibly recruited into the LTTE yesterday (Feb 15) and calls on the LTTE to immediately release him, to desist from further recruitment of civilians, and permit passage for people who wish to leave, especially women and children,” the statement adds.

The UN office said it was acutely aware that the suffering of the UN staff and dependents is just on part of a much larger picture…..their release would strengthen the capacity of the UN to assist the tens of thousands of people both inside the Vanni pocket, and the approximately 30,000 IDPs who have left for government held areas, the statement said.

The UN said it welcomed last week's declaration of a larger "safe zone" for civilians along a narrow strip of coastline in the island's northeast, but noted there had been fighting even within that area, and called on the Sri Lankan forces and the LTTE to refrain from fighting in areas of civilian concentration." The statement did not identify who was responsible for the fighting or attacks in the safe zone.

Tens of thousands of civilians in the rebel-held area were experiencing serious shortages of food, medicine, and clean water, the UN said. "Efforts to bring in more food and medicines have not yet been successful, and it is imperative that these needs be met," it added.

On Saturday, the Defence Ministry reported an LTTE attack on a vehicle carrying people fleeing the shrinking area still under terrorist that killed a woman and wounded 13 people who were trying to flee.

Here is the text of the statement from the UN office in Colombo.