国产热热热精品,亚洲视频久久】日韩,三级婷婷在线久久,99人妻精品视频,精品九热人人肉肉在线,AV东京热一区二区,91po在线视频观看,久久激情宗合,青青草黄色手机视频

WORLD> Photo
More civilians fleeing conflicting area in Sri Lanka
(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-04-22 11:06

"The situation is nothing short of catastrophic. Ongoing fighting has killed or wounded hundreds of civilians who have only minimal access to medical care," said Red Cross operations director Pierre Kraehenbuehl. "I cannot remember ... as much concentrated pain and exposure to violence with very, very minimal possibilities to reach anywhere that could be called safe."

More civilians fleeing conflicting area in Sri Lanka

Civilians escape an area controlled by Tamil Tigers in north-eastern Sri Lanka in this photo taken on April 20, 2009. [Agencies]

The UN Children's Fund South Asia director Daniel Toole said he was worried about the safety of children still in the war zone because "our greatest fear is that the worst is yet to come."

The military spokesman said there was no fighting Tuesday evening, adding that it avoids using heavy, long-range weapons.

Nanayakkara said 39,081 civilians fled the war zone Monday, the most in a single day, and at least 13,000 people crossed over Tuesday, with the stream continuing.

State Department spokesman Robert Wood said the US was pleased so many civilians had fled, but he remained concerned about what he called credible reports of increasing casualties and indiscriminate firing on civilians by rebel forces.

Encouraged by the exodus, the government Monday asked the rebels to surrender within 24 hours, warning of a final assault if they failed. The ultimatum expired at noon (2:30 am EDT) Tuesday without a response from the rebels.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected a call by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for a pause in the fighting, his office said Tuesday.

The president's office said in a statement that Rajapaksa deemed a pause "unnecessary" considering the "unexpected exodus of civilians" when the two leaders had spoken by phone Monday.

Red Cross spokeswoman Sarasi Wijeratne said the organization could not confirm or deny the figures quoted by the military. According to figures received by the Red Cross, 11,000 people crossed the front lines Monday and another 5,000 came Tuesday, she said.

The UN refugee agency said it is ready to provide shelter and aid to tens of thousands of displaced civilians.

The rebels have fought since 1983 for an independent state for Sri Lanka's ethnic minority Tamils. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the years of violence.

南丹县| 怀柔区| 荆门市| 原阳县| 黑龙江省| 房产| 渝北区| 文成县| 岫岩| 株洲市| 秦皇岛市| 双桥区| 静乐县| 五指山市| 乌兰浩特市| 迁西县| 灌阳县| 车致| 平乐县| 通州区| 上虞市| 安宁市| 山西省| 分宜县| 临澧县| 湟源县| 无极县| 四平市| 青阳县| 南丹县| 石渠县| 若尔盖县| 中西区| 清远市| 班戈县| 苗栗市| 江华| 怀来县| 辽阳市| 海城市| 辉南县|