Food supplies to Mullaitivu cut off

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
Officials at the district secretariat in Vavuniya confirmed today that food supplies cannot be sent to the eastern part of the Mullaithivu district, as the Sri Lankan army has stopped all supplies from passing on the Mankulam - Ottisuddan - Mullaithivu road.

They said that the Sri Lankan army has established a series of camps and supply depots on this road and that as a consequence, people are abandoning villages and settlements that have come under its artillery range.

Reports from the area say that the Sri Lankan army's big guns have been pounding the Mullaitivu region for over a week.

The Government agent for Mullaithivu, Mr. M. Tharmakulasingham has stated that the situation is serious as he has only about three weeks of food supply left.

The Government Agents of Vavuniya and Mullaithivu are trying to secure permission from the Sri Lankan MoD to take supply lorries to the Vanni interior and Mullaithivu to avert the imminent crisis.

It is expected that the displaced persons from Jaffna who have settled in large numbers in Mullaithivu would be the first to be affected.These refugees largely depend on dry rations distributed by the GAs.