Sri Lanka - aid workers warn of ‘humanitarian catastrophe’

Sri Lanka's government and army this morning predicted they would defeat the Tamil Tigers by Sunday, despite warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe. The announcement comes in spite of international calls for a ceasefire to allow the estimated 50,000 people trapped in the rebel-held territory to leave. At least four people were killed and 14 wounded yesterday when rebels shot at them as they waded a lagoon that forms the front line as thousands braved rebel fire yesterday to break out of Sri Lanka's war zone, the military said.

Meanwhile, health workers abandoned the only hospital in the area because of constant shelling. Hundreds of wounded were left behind. The army said it was closing in on the 1.5 square mile pocket of north eastern coastline where it has pinned down the Tigers and would free all the people there by Sunday morning. "The people will all be rescued within 48 hours," said army spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, estimating that there were less than 15,000 civilians in the area, although the UN still puts the figure at around 50,000.

Anusha Palpita, the government's information director, also said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had predicted victory by Sunday while speaking to Sri Lankan expats on a trip to Jordan. "The President assured that within the next 48 hours the thousands of Tamil civilians will be freed from the clutches of the Tamil Tigers," Mr Palpita told The Times newspaper. "All territory will be freed from Tiger control."

The final push to end the island's 26-year civil war came in defiance of appeals in the last few days from President Obama and the United Nations for a ceasefire to allow all civilians to leave the conflict zone. Washington announced last night that it was blocking Sri Lanka’s application for a $1.9 billion emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund because of its conduct of the war -- as reported by The Times on April 30.

Britain, has also said it will not support the loan, and is calling for an investigation into allegations that Sri Lanka’s army committed war crimes by shelling civilian targets, including hospitals. Ban Ki-moon, the U.N. Secretary General, launched a last ditch attempt to avoid a bloodbath yesterday by dispatching his chief of staff, Navi Pillay, to Sri Lanka. Mr Pillay has said both sides may be guilty of war crimes. The Red Cross, the only international aid organisation working in the conflict area, also made a desperate appeal last night, warning that its staff was "witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe".

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children