Bishop of Jaffna says: more than 100,000 civilians risk annihilation

(March 14, 2009) "More than 100,000 civilians risk total annihilation if evacuation does not begin immediately in the war zone in the northwest." Thomas Savundaranayagam, bishop of Jaffna, is issuing yet another cry of alarm and urging the army and the Tamil rebels to reach an agreement in order to spare the lives of the population still trapped in the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. The bishop of the city in the northern part of the island says that the government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam are preparing for the "final battle," ignoring "the perilous situation of total annihilation of civilians in the no-fire zone." The refugees are encamped in the district of Mullaitivu, on a stretch of coastline a little longer than 11 kilometres. They suffer from a shortage of food, a lack of basic necessities, and accommodation in makeshift shelters. For more than five months, the Church, the UN, and the Red Cross have been calling for respect for civilians trapped in the war zone and exposed to attacks from both sides. The Red Cross says there are at least 200,000 people, while the defence ministry says that there are no more than 100,000 refugees. Bishop Savundaranayagam is asking for the opening of a corridor to allow the civilians to leave the safety zone. "It is the last chance" for the warring parties to prevent more innocent victims. The bishop is proposing to the army and the rebels a plan of emergency for the evacuation of civilians.