Nearly 70 UN workers are to pull out from LTTE-held Kilinochchi

The UN statement issued from Colombo on Tuesday came after the Sri Lankan government ordered the withdrawal of all foreign and local aid workers from LTTE-held Vanni.

"About 70 offices from five operational UN agencies will eventually be moving out of Kilinochchi," UN spokesman in Colombo, Gordon Weiss, told BBC Sandeshaya.

However, ICRC is not pulling out from Vanni, he said.

ICRC statement

Toon Vandenhove, the head of ICRC delegation in Sri Lanka, urged both parties to the conflict to safeguard civilians.

His statement issued on Tuesday said: "We are committed to staying close to those in need of humanitarian aid and to meeting their most urgent needs regardless of whether they seek refuge in government or LTTE-controlled areas".

In a meeting with the aid agencies in Colombo, the government had informed that it can "no longer ensure the safety of the aid workers" in rebel-held areas.

"A precise timetable for the complete withdrawal of all staff is yet to be determined, but relocations will begin this week," the UN said.

We are committed to staying close to those in need of humanitarian aid and to meeting their most urgent needs regardless of whether they seek refuge in government or LTTE-controlled areas ICRC statement

Aid agencies say since June as many as 85,000 have fled ahead of the soldiers' advance, further into the diminishing rebel-held areas in the north, bolstering the numbers already there.

The Government, claiming they could be used as human shields, has dropped leaflets urging them to leave.

But there has been no exodus.

The UN statement say that it notes "the Government recognises it holds primary responsibility for ensuring the safety of humanitarian workers".

British parliamentary group

Gordon Weiss added that UN agencies have been delivering food and medical aid to nearly 160,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP) in Vanni.

Meanwhile, a British parliamentary group has called on the British authorities to take action against the Sri Lankan government for asking aid workers to leave Vanni.

In a statement, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tamils urged British Foreign Ministry to condemn the move and “follow up with firm actions including UN sanctions”.