By Xinhua,
Colombo : An Indian ship carrying relief items to Sri Lanka’s war displaced civilians has reached Colombo harbor, official sources said here Sunday.
The ship was carrying 1700 tons of relief material and the distribution is to be coordinated through the International Committee of the Red Cross, the officials said.
This was the first consignment of Indian relief assistance after concerns were raised in the South Indian state of Tamil Naduover the plight of Tamil civilians.
Top Sri Lankan presidential advisor Basil Rajapakse visited New Delhi recently to allay Indian concerns on Sri Lanka’s military action against the Tamil Tigers.
International agencies estimate around 200,000 civilians are trapped in the northern Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts where government troops are currently battling Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels.
The Sri Lankan government maintains that enough food supplies are in the regions.
The troops began its military offensive against the LTTE in the north in mid-2007 after repulsing the organization from the Eastern Province.
Claiming discrimination at the hands of Sinhalese-dominated governments, the LTTE has been fighting for an independent Tamil homeland in the north and east for more than two decades, resulting in the killing of more than 70,000 people.