Govt. refutes media reports on preventing ICRC convoys

Relief flow ahead: ICRC:

Rasika SOMARATHNA

COLOMBO: The Government yesterday strongly denied claims in sections of the media that it (the Government) had prevented ICRC convoys carrying food and medicine to the internally displaced from Trincomalee district and arriving at Vakarai DS division, due to the prevailing security situation.

ICRC sources said that ICRC convoys carrying food and medicine have already started distributing relief among affected families and further to this the Government had also directed the GA in Batticaloa to distribute relief items such as cooked meals and dry rations with immediate effect.

Meanwhile the ICRC in a statement said that a convoy of 17 trucks and four cars with relief items had reached the town of Vakarai in the Batticaloa district.

The convoy had brought food, water and other items such as tarpaulins, mats, bed sheets, cooking pots and buckets for distribution to thousands of displaced in the Echilampattai area.

"The most important thing at this stage is to provide the displaced with water as quickly as possible" said Jose Fereira an ICRC water and habitat engineer participating in the relief operations.

According to ICRC this latest relief operation had been launched with the help of the Red Crescent Movement and other humanitarian organizations currently operating on the ground, including the world food programme, UNICEF, UNHCR, World Vision and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development.

In the past few days these organizations have provided displaced families in Kantale and Kinniya with 1160 tarpaulins, 1137 hygiene kits, 450 baby packs, 130 kits of essential household items and 130 tents.

In addition the ICRC has installed sanitary facilities and water distribution systems in the camps. The ICRC has also begun to construct a field hospital with 80 beds in Kantale.