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War displaced will be cared for: Colombo

COLOMBO: A top Sri Lankan official said on Monday that civilians displaced by fighting had adequate food and shelter. The official vowed to ensure they were cared for as the war intensified.

People have been forced to flee their homes in the north in recent weeks as government forces seized LTTE-held territories, said international aid groups. The Red Cross said health authorities were struggling to meet the basic needs of the displaced. The U.N. said thousands were living under trees. Amnesty International said the LTTE appeared to be using the displaced as a buffer against the military and said government restrictions on bringing goods into the area increased the hardship.

Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said those displaced had shelter and there were two weeks of food stocks. “These are our people. They are Sri Lankan citizens, and we have taken every possible step to ensure ... that they are not abandoned,” he said.

In an uncommon arrangement, the government maintains agents and offices inside LTTE-held territory to provide services to the population. Officials said they hoped to crush the group by the end of the year. A series of battles on Sunday killed 23 LTTE cadre and four soldiers, said a military spokesman. — AP

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