Emergency relief to Vakarai displaced

COLOMBO: A convoy of lorries carrying food and essential items left Batticaloa yesterday for the uncleared area of Vakarai where a large number of displaced civilians had taken refuge following the fighting in Mavilaru.

Government Agent of Batticaloa S. Punniyamoorthy dispatched essential food and medical items to the civilians displaced in the uncleared Vakarai area due to the recent clashes between the LTTE and the Security Forces in Mavilaru following a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday.

Ten lorries carrying food and medical items left at 1 p.m. from Batticaloa to Vakarai along with the Government officials led by Additional Government Agent K. Mahesan.

President Rajapaksa directed the Government Agent of Batticaloa to send the relief items immediately to uncleared Vakarai area following a request made to him by Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan yesterday.

President Rajapaksa issued the instructions to the Government Agent for Batticaloa to provide the relief measures to the uncleared Vakarai area in the East. The President also pledged to sort out problems faced by convoys of NGOs in attending to humanitarian needs of the displaced in the Eastern province.

Vakarai is 60 km from Batticaloa. Brigadier Mohan Jayawardena made the security arrangements for the convoy of lorries carrying relief items into Vakarai area.

More lorries with relief items are expected to travel to Vakarai from Batticaloa today, according to the Government Agent's Office.