EU allocates Rs.667m to help displaced Sri Lankan Tamils

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2006, 00:26 GMT]
The European Commission (EU) is concerned about the upsurge in violence in Sri Lanka from the beginning of 2006 that directly affects thousands of civilians in the island, said the report of Louis Michel, the EU Commissioner for Humanitarian Activities, read by Julian Wilson Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, at a press briefing held Wednesday around 11:00 a.m at the EU office in Colombo.

EU expresses deep concern over the fresh violence and clashes started in the end of last year. As a result, thousands of people were affected and we are ready to help them on humanitarian grounds. However, we face great difficulties in helping them than ever before because of attacks on relief workers, killings and intimidation against them. The situation can no longer be allowed to continue and the culprits should be brought to justice, said the report.

Furthermore, the parties involved in the conflict should respect the international humanitarian laws and the basic human rights of the civilians as well. In addition, the security of the relief workers ought to be ensured.

In the light of this situation, EU has allocated 667.3 million Sri Lankan Rupees to satisfy the basic needs of the refugees fled to India due to the conflict, the press communique said.