Food cargo to INGO workers in Jaffna arrives by air

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 September 2006, 12:46 GMT]
A private aircraft with a consignment of food cargo assigned for workers of international non governmental organizations arrived in Palaly military airbase in Jaffna district from Ratmalana in Colombo Monday morning. Basic supplies to the INGO offices and tents for IDP camps were transported to Jaffna. A group of INGO officials were scheduled to leave Jaffna in the aircraft, NGO sources said.

The commercial flights between Ratmalana and Palaly came to a halt from August 11 with the outbreak of fresh fight between Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

This was the first non-military flight after about twenty four days to arrive in Palaly.

INGOs hired the aircraft of the Aero-Lank Air line Services to transport food and other essential items for their workers and other institutions working with the support of UNHCR and ICRC in Jaffna district.

Meanwhile in the return flight to Colombo officials of the UNHCR and ICRC along with their local workers were expected to fly from Jaffna.

Efforts taken to resume full scale commercial flight service by private airliners between Ratmalana and Palaly have failed, informed sources said.