By Thin Lei Win
Aid workers fear uprooted civilians in the north of Sri Lanka could become trapped without enough assistance as fighting intensifies between government forces and separatist rebels.
On Sept. 9, the government ordered the United Nations and international non-governmental organisations to move out of rebel-held areas in the north, saying it could not guarantee their safety.
Many agencies, including the United Nations, had been operating from Kilinochchi town, the main base of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.
On Tuesday the military said they were within 5.5 km of Kilinochchi, a prized target as Sri Lanka's armed forces step up efforts to defeat a foe they have battled since 1983, in a war that has killed over 70,000 people.
By the end of Tuesday, most relief groups, except local staff from the area and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), had relocated south to the government-controlled town of Vavuniya.
The withdrawal has raised questions about the fate of the 167,000 people who have been displaced in the rebel-controlled districts of Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi since a shaky truce began collapsing in April 2006, most of whom are sheltering in welfare centres.
"The most pressing concern is the plight of the innocent civilians who are trapped in the region and are unable to leave," said an aid officer who declined to be named. "It is the duty of all parties to ensure that these people are given freedom of movement to allow them to move to places of safety."
In the last three months alone, between 70,000 and 85,000 people have fled their homes as the military pushed into the rebel territory in the north. The potential humanitarian consequences of civilians being unable to escape fighting in the war zone are enormous, aid workers told AlertNet.
On Wednesday, the military said its jets had blasted a hideout of the leader of the Tamil Tiger rebels. But a pro-rebel web site, www.tamilnet.com, said the attack was on a "densely populated settlement" of refugees, and had wounded two people including a 14-year-old boy.
The government has indicated it is prepared for up to 200,000 people to come to Vavuniya, behind the front lines. But aid agencies say there have been no organised efforts to move displaced civilians in rebel territory to safer areas.
Even if they reach Vavuniya, it is unclear whether camps will be independently monitored or whether the displaced will be able to move freely, aid workers warn.
The president has said the relocation of most international agencies from the north is a temporary measure. Yet amid uncertainty over when they will be allowed to return, there are concerns over food security, shelter, water and sanitation, and freedom of movement for the displaced population.
Already continuous heavy fighting, including aerial bombardments, in areas close to Kilinochchi town has prompted many to move again, according to the United Nations.
"From our point of view, the trauma of all this for children, to study in an environment where war is going on, is not helpful," said Menaca Calyaneratne, head of communications for Save the Children Sri Lanka. "For the people as well as the children, the psychological effects will have to be addressed, and addressed very urgently."
Save the Children, which has pulled out staff to Vavuniya, said at least 30,000 schoolchildren are among the displaced.
In response to the growing fears, Jeevan Thiagarajah, executive director of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies, an association of relief groups, told AlertNet there are structures in place to take care of civilians following the withdrawal of most international aid agencies.
He said local aid workers could continue to work with relevant government departments as volunteers, and food and other relief items could be provided through government convoys.
But those directly affected by the fighting in rebel territory appear to have less confidence in contingency plans to help them. Anxiety over their future spilled over on Friday when a few hundred protestors prevented a small convoy of U.N. and other agency vehicles from leaving.
"The consequences are serious," said another aid worker who is familiar with the crisis. "And they will be exacerbated by the fact that these agencies who have the capacity to (provide humanitarian aid) have been banned from conducting their operations."
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