| A Red Cross ship has left the Sri Lankan | | | | blame for the humanitarian crisis firmly on |
| capital, carrying food and essential supplies | | | | the Tamil Tigers, also known as the L.T.T.E. |
| for tens of thousands of civilians trapped on | | | | |
| the Jaffna Peninsula by fighting between | | | | "Of course the unfortunate part of this is |
| government troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels. | | | | that the L.T.T.E. callously creates the |
| The Red Cross also says it will evacuate | | | | problem and leaves it to the government to |
| foreign nationals from the region. | | | | resolve. And the government, because it is a |
| | | | responsible government, has taken up this |
| Aid officials say the cargo ship provided by | | | | challenge and is providing relief supplies," |
| the Sri Lankan government is carrying 1,500 | | | | Kohona said. |
| tons of food and 15 tons of medical supplies. | | | | |
| It is intended to help 350,000 people on the | | | | The ship left late Tuesday and is expected to |
| Jaffna Peninsula facing food shortages. | | | | arrive in Jaffna Thursday. Officials say bad |
| | | | weather kept it from setting sail on Saturday |
| The ship is flying a Red Cross flag. After | | | | or Sunday. |
| delivering the supplies, it is expected to | | | | |
| evacuate foreign nationals - most of them aid | | | | The Tamil Tigers blame the government for the |
| workers. They have been trapped in Jaffna by | | | | recent surge in fighting, which has led to |
| nearly two weeks of fighting between the Sri | | | | the aid crisis. |
| Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers. | | | | |
| | | | Officials say they hope to return most of the |
| Jaffna is the second front to open in less | | | | people displaced by fighting to their homes |
| than a month, calling into question a 2002 | | | | before the rainy season begins in northern |
| cease fire agreement that both sides claim to | | | | and eastern Sri Lanka in the next month. |
| uphold. | | | | |
| | | | Officials say fighting in Jaffna has eased in |
| The fighting began last month in Trincomalee | | | | the past three days after 12 days of fierce |
| district on the east coast, over control of a | | | | clashes. |
| water reservoir. | | | | |
| | | | Fears are high that the renewed fighting |
| The United Nations estimates that the clashes | | | | could plunge Sri Lanka back into its civil |
| have driven at least 170 thousand civilians | | | | war, which began in 1983. The Tamil Tigers |
| from their homes to the safety of refugee | | | | started their armed campaign against the |
| camps, where provisions are scarce. | | | | government because of what they say is |
| | | | oppression of the ethnic Tamil minority by |
| Palitha Kohona, the secretary-general of the | | | | the Sinhalese majority. |
| government's peace secretariat, places the | | | | |