What support should the international community give to the people of Sri Lanka?
KS: The international community needs to keep advocating through all possible channels for: 1. The immediate cessation of hostilities in the ‘no fire zone’ and the evacuation of the remaining civilians trapped in the Vanni who are caught in the final offensive between the state and the LTTE. There is no independent figure for the numbers trapped but they could be about 30,000 and the ICRC has said it is a catastrophe. Navi Pillai in March warned that the continued fighting by the state in civilian trapped areas and the LTTE’s refusal to let civilians safely out of the area could amount to war crimes. 2. The meeting of basic needs of the civilians who have managed to flee the fighting in the Vanni, now numbering about 162,000. Food, water, shelter and medicines are all in short supply and urgently needed. 3. Immediate nutritional supplements and water for those severely malnourished, dehydrated, sick and injured. 4. For the special needs of women – clothes, sanitary wear, adequate toile
