Colombo - A visiting United Nations envoy to Sri Lanka expressed serious concern Thursday about civilians in the northern part of the country who have become trapped in the fighting between government troops and Tamil rebels.
UN Under-Secretary General on Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes opening a two-day visit to Sri Lanka by calling on Tamil rebels to permit civilians to move freely and allow them to leave the areas of fighting.
Colombo- UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes is due in Sri Lanka for a two-day visit to discuss the plight of civilians in the northern part of the country, where fighting between government troops and Tamil rebels has forced thousands to flee their homes, officials said Wednesday.
Holmes, who arrives on Thursday, will meet Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, among others, Bogollagama told reporters.
Colombo - UNICEF officials on Tuesday expressed serious concern about children caught up in the conflict in the northern part of Sri Lanka and urged both sides - the government and Tamil rebels - to provide protection to civilians.
"UNICEF reiterates the call it has made time and again to the government and the LTTE (Tamil rebels) that civilians, especially children, must be given every protection from the fighting," the UN agency said in a statement.
Colombo - The United Nations Monday expressed concern about the welfare of civilians and its staff members caught in fighting in northern Sri Lanka between government troops and Tamil rebels.
The UN said that, though a designated safe zone - a 12 kilometre stretch on the coastal line in the north east - had provided some respite to tens of thousands of civilians caught up in the conflict, reports received on Sunday indicate that fighting was reported inside the zone.
Colombo - The United Nations Monday expressed concern about the welfare of civilians and its staff members caught in fighting in northern Sri Lanka between government troops and Tamil rebels.
The UN said that, though a designated safe zone - a 12 kilometre stretch on the coastal line in the north east - had provided some respite to tens of thousands of civilians caught up in the conflict, reports received on Sunday indicate that fighting was reported inside the zone.
The UN office in Colombo said the fighting had led to the deaths and injury of more civilians, but did not specify the number killed or injured.
Colombo - President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) recorded convincing victories in two of the nine provinces where local elections were held on Saturday, officials said.
The victories in the Central and North Western Provinces were widely seen as an endorsement of the military campaign against Tamil rebels in the northern part of the country.
Colombo - A visiting United Nations envoy to Sri Lanka expressed serious concern Thursday about civilians in the northern part of the country who have become trapped in the fighting between government troops and Tamil rebels.
Colombo- UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes is due in Sri Lanka for a two-day visit to discuss the plight of civilians in the northern part of the country, where fighting between government troops and Tamil rebels has forced thousands to flee their homes, officials said Wednesday.
Colombo - UNICEF officials on Tuesday expressed serious concern about children caught up in the conflict in the northern part of Sri Lanka and urged both sides - the government and Tamil rebels - to provide protection to civilians.
Colombo - The United Nations Monday expressed concern about the welfare of civilians and its staff members caught in fighting in northern Sri Lanka between government troops and Tamil rebels.
Colombo - The United Nations Monday expressed concern about the welfare of civilians and its staff members caught in fighting in northern Sri Lanka between government troops and Tamil rebels.
Colombo - President Mahinda Rajapaksa's ruling United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) recorded convincing victories in two of the nine provinces where local elections were held on Saturday, officials said.
