UN deplores suicide attack in northern Sri Lanka

The United Nations has condemned today’s suicide attack at a registration centre for civilians fleeing the fighting in northern Sri Lanka, which killed and wounded many civilians, including children.

The attack comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis in the northern part of the South-East Asian nation, where some 250,000 civilians are trapped by fighting between Government forces and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

Today’s incident reportedly involved a female Tamil Tiger rebel who blew herself up at a registration centre in the Vishwamadu area of Mullaitivu district.

“The UN reiterates that civilians must be distinguished from combatants, and protected from the fighting,” the UN Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka said in a statement.

"The UN reiterates that civilians must be distinguished from combatants, and protected from the fighting"

“It calls once again on the LTTE to separate its forces from civilians under its control.”

The statement noted that those killed had already been forced from their homes by fighting, and had endured terrible hardships.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other senior UN officials have repeatedly called on both the rebels and the Government to do all in their power to ensure safe passage for those fleeing the conflict zone, and to ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.

UNO     9 February 2009