New York - Tens of thousands of Sri Lankans are still trapped in conflict zone while some 200,000 others remain in swollen refugee camps waiting for relief assistance, the top UN humanitarian coordinator said Tuesday. John Holmes said continued fighting between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels in the northern part of the country has exacerbated conditions for both populations. He said LTTE rebels have so far refused to let go civilians trapped by the fighting, which he described as the first crisis facing the government.

Geneva - The United Nations gave 10 million dollars from its emergency relief fund for Sri Lanka, noting Tuesday that humanitarian needs in the Asian country remain underfunded. With the new donation, 37 per cent of the 155 million dollars needed for Sri Lanka this year were covered. About one third of the funds came from the emergency fund .

UN officials said that they had at best "sporadic access" for their humanitarian missions to the coastal enclave in Sri Lanka where tens of thousands of civilians remained trapped in dire conditions.

New York - The United Nations has taken steps to lead the fight against the sudden outbreak of swine flu, mobilizing its agencies to help countries where cases have been verified, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Monday. "The UN system is responding, quickly and effectively, with the director general of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, taking the lead," Ban said.

Geneva - The United Nations Durban Review Conference against racism ended Friday with delegates adopting the final outcome package of documents, setting a framework for combating discrimination and intolerance.

UN statistics given to the German Press Agency dpa showed that nearly 100,000 people from 117 countries and territories watched the events online though a Webcast made available on the organization's Website.

Prague  - The Czech Republic announced Monday evening that it was breaking off its attendance at the UN racism conference in Geneva in protest against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad's anti- Israel speech.

A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry described as unacceptable his description of the Israeli government as racist. Prague therefore did not wish to lend weight to the "anti-Israeli attacks" of Ahmedinejad by remaining present at the conference.

New York/Colombo - More than 100,000 people are in mortal danger in Sri Lanka if security forces continue their offensive against dug-in rebels, the United Nations warned Wednesday.

John Holmes, the UN emergency relief coordinator, appealed to the Sri Lankan military to extend its holiday pause of operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

"The situation is simply catastrophic," said Holmes, who warned of a bloodbath if the army mounts what is expected to be one last tightening of the shrinking perimeter around the rebels.