Action by Churches Together (ACT) Alert - Sri Lanka Geneva, 23 November 1999
Peace efforts in Sri Lanka have suffered a setback following the massacre of civilians in the north of the island in September when a band of 75 suspected Tamil Tiger rebels descended on Punchi Sigiriya, slaughtering 48 Sinhalese. There has also been a fresh upsurge of fighting during the last few weeks and on 20 November, fighting between the Sri Lanka army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam left 50 civilians dead (including several children) and 60 others wounded. The victims had taken refuge in the compound of a 17th century Dutch built church in Madhu, between Mannar and Vavuniya in the north of the island. ACT member, the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India (JD/CSI) reports that due to escalation of the civil war, people in the north of Sri Lanka, especially in the districts of Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Mullaitivu, are again being exposed to renewed terror. This has resulted in thousands of vulnerable persons being displaced and who are in dire need of basic food rations, clothing and shelter. JD/CSI is formulating a proposal to render immediate emergency assistance to 10,000 such needy families at a cost of around US$ 100,000. Thank you for your attention. For further information please contact: ACT Co-ordinator, Miriam Lutz (phone ++41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 203 6055) or ACT Appeals Officer, Neville Pradhan (phone +41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone ++41 79 285 2916) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide network of churches and their related agencies, meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency response. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ecumenical Centre Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33 150, route de Ferney Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06 1211 Geneva 2 Telex: 415 730 OIK CH Switzerland http://www.act-intl.org distributed by - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Volunteers in Technical Assistance Disaster Information Center lists: www.vita.org/listsub.htm sitreps nat-dsr web: www.vita.org fireline - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -