UN has deplored the increasing casualties among civilians in Sri Lanka

“Deploring the increasing casualties” among the civilians in northern Sri Lanka, The UN Secretary General has repeated his call for a temporary ceasefire.

The call has come a day after the LTTE, in a letter to the UN, EU and United States, expressed its willingness to temporary halt the fighting. But the Sri Lanka government has rejected the call saying LTTE should lay down arms before any ceasefire to take place.

Evacuating civilians

"There is an urgent need to bring this conflict to an end without any further unnecessary loss of civilian life and destruction of Sri Lankan society. The United Nations renews its call on all sides to pursue serious efforts toward political discussion to achieve an orderly end to the conflict,” Ban Ki-Moon has said.

India is working out modalities with the Government of Sri Lanka to arrange for early dispatch of medical help and medicine to reach sick and injured civilians Indian statement

The US State Department has also renewed its call for a temporary truce in Sri Lanka.

India, meanwhile, called upon Sri Lanka government and all concerned to work out a procedure to evacuate civilians trapped in the conflict.

The spokesman for the Indian External Affairs ministry urged both parties to respect the security of the safe zones earmarked by the Sri Lankan government.

“We understand that small numbers of medical evacuees have indeed been brought out of the conflict zone for the last few days by sea. We would urge all concerned to make it possible for much larger numbers to be brought out both over land and by sea,” the statement said.

Scarce resourses

The statement re-stated India’s willingness to provide help to facilitate in bringing civilians to safety.

“India is working out modalities with the Government of Sri Lanka to arrange for early dispatch of medical help and medicine to reach sick and injured civilians,” it said.

	ICRC has been evacuating sick and wounded

The International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) said resources are running out for thousands of civilians still trapped in Vanni.

ICRC spokeswoman in Colombo, Sophie Romanens, told the BBC that many civilians are going to the coast in search of food, especially fish, but lack of clean water is another serious concern.

Government response

"The people are displaced there, they are moving constantly in search of safety and access to scarce resources. But then we know in that area there is a lack of clean water so we know they will move back inland to try to find some water where they will be more exposed to the fighting," she said.

The Sri Lankan government once again urged the LTTE to lay down arms.

"The government is always ready for a ceasefire the moment the LTTE lays down the arms," Human Rights minister Mahinda Samarasinghe told BBC Sandeshaya.

Sri Lankan government has not received any formal request from the Indian government on evacuating civilians, he added.