Red Cross Ship on Rescue Mission

Red Cross ship will rescue hundreds from siege city (Times Online, 22 Aug. '06)

"AN AID ship loaded with tonnes of food and medicine was preparing to sail to Jaffna last night as the UN said a humanitarian catastrophe was looming in the besieged Sri Lankan city. The vessel, flying the Red Cross flag, is expected to pick up hundreds of people, nearly all of them Tamils with foreign nationality, including around 60 British citizens who have been trapped for a week.

"Electricity and telephone lines in Jaffna have been cut and food prices are spiralling as the area around the city has suffered airstrikes and bombardments in the past week. Yesterday hundreds of people were queueing outside the Red Cross offices hoping for a passage on the aid ship, but only foreign passport holders and some wounded civilians were expected to be allowed to board. The vessel’s departure has been delayed by heavy monsoon rains in Colombo, but it is expected to arrive tomorrow after a 50-hour voyage.

"Jaffna is controlled by the Sri Lankan Government, but is cut off from the rest of Sri Lanka by rebel territory. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam have closed the city’s airport with artillery strikes and effectively cut sea links with the threat of suicide speedboat attacks."