UN to make fresh bid to evacuate war-hit civilians in SL

Dharam Shourie United Nations, Jan 29 (PTI) As concerns grew worldwide over the fate of 250,000 Tamil civilians trapped in the war zone in northern Sri Lanka, the UN today announced it would make a renewed attempt to evacuate them to safety.Special convoys are proposed to be run to evacuate these trapped people from the jungles of Mullaittivu district in batches and the world body has sought cooperation from both the Sri Lankan army as well as the LTTE."The convoys will cross the frontline at midday today," UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon's spokesperson said as time may prove critical for these hapless people.Top priority, the UN says would be given to hundreds of people reportedly critical suffering from battle wounds and sickness.The civilians are the residents of northern towns of Killinochchi and Mullaittivu and their outlying areas, who according to Lankan officials are being used as human shields by the Tigers. But LTTE denies this, saying that the populace is accompanying them even in battle of their own will.Whatever be the reason, there is an international outcry to bring these people, who include thousands of women and children, wounded and sick to safety.The relief convoys propose to ferry the injured to the government hospitals in the town of Vavuniya where they can be treated for their wounds, he added.Convoys meant to evacuate the trapped civilians have been stranded for days near the embattled town of Puthukkudiyiruppu, which lies just across the lines of confrontation in territory controlled by the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). PTI