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Concern is intensifying over the fate of 350,000 civilians trapped in a rapidly shrinking Tamil Tiger-controlled pocket of land in north-east Sri Lanka.
The Army said last week that it had taken new swathes of territory from the separatist rebels, forcing the dwindling guerrilla troops to retreat to their last remaining stronghold, the small coastal town of Mullaitivu.
Aid agencies believe hundreds of thousands of people made homeless by the latest offensive had been pushed back, along with the guerrilla fighters, and were crowded into a densely forested patch of land around 35km wide. Most are thought to be sheltering with locals, or in shacks thrown together from palm leaves, and food supplies are restricted.
"We are worried that, because the area under attack is now so small, and the number of civilians so high, casualties will soar," said the director of a Colombo-based foreign aid body, who asked not to be named.
It is near-impossible to establish whether such fears are justified, because the Sri Lankan Government has excluded journalists, international observers, and most aid organisations from the conflict zone. Only the International Committee of the Red Cross retains access to the Vanni, the area previously controlled by the Tigers.
Paul Castella, the ICRC's country director, said there was chaos as frantic civilians tried to flee and he was "extremely concerned" that no safe escape passage had been cleared for them. "Families heading westward in search of safety are encountering other families moving eastward with the same aim," Castella said.
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