Vanni situation deteriorating: UNP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 December 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The UNP today called for an adjournment debate in the Sri Lankan Parliament on what it described as the deteriorating food and medical situation in the Vanni. The UNP had discussions with the Tamil parties in Parliament this afternoon on the matter.

The UNP's position on the Vanni, according to party sources, is based on a report by an unofficial fact finding mission which visited this region recently. The area is under the LTTE's control.

The UNP headquarters put out a communique this evening regarding the adjournment debate. The UNP communique states-

"The leader of the Opposition summoned a meeting with the other parties in the opposition to discuss the deteriorating situation in the Vanni area where over 485,000 people including nearly 300,000 refugees are trapped."

"The distribution of food in these areas had virtually come to a halt, threatening the population with starvation and the situation has been further aggravated by the spread of Malaria and Cholera and the lack of medicines."

"It was decided therefore that the Opposition would jointly call for an adjournment debate to focus attention of the government on the plight of the people of the Vanni and to press the government to take speedy remedial action before the situation gets out of hand."

"Mr.R. Sambandan of the TULF, Mr.P.P Devaraj of the CWC, Mr.Sithadthan of the DPLF, Mr. S Thangavel of the EPDP along with Mr. Tyronne Fernando and Mrs. R. Pulendran of the UNP participated in the discussions."