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UN envoy in Sri Lanka peace bid Sri Lanka army 'in final stage'
(about 4 hours later)
The United Nations is sending an envoy to Sri Lanka, in an effort to resolve the growing humanitarian crisis there. Sri Lanka's army says it is in the "final stage" of operations against the Tamil Tigers with troops just 1.5km short of "dominating the whole coast".
The secretary general's chief of staff, Vijay Nambiar, will press for an end to the fighting beween government troops and Tamil Tiger rebels, the UN says. President Mahinda Rajapksa was quoted as saying that all trapped civilians would be "rescued from rebel control" within two days.
The government has rejected calls to halt its offensive in the north-east. The government has rejected international calls for a truce.
The Red Cross has called Sri Lanka's crisis an "unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe". The UN says about 50,000 civilians are trapped in the war zone. The UN is sending a new envoy to discuss a crisis the Red Cross calls an "unimaginable catastrophe".
Colombo disputes this figure and says it expects to recapture all the territory still held by the rebels within a few days. Lagoon
The defence ministry website says: "The expected link up of the 58 and 59 Divisions, who are merely 2km (1.4 miles) apart on the coast will mark the total liberation of the coastline."
See a map of the conflict region See a map of the conflict region
Mr Nambiar is returning to Sri Lanka a month after he met President Mahinda Rajapaksa but failed to secure access to the war zone for humanitarian teams. It said more than 3,000 civilians were able to wade to safety across the Nanthikadal lagoon on Thursday.
SATELLITE IMAGERY Human rights groups' report on High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and the Conflict in Sri Lanka [7.36 MB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here Sri Lanka images 'prove damage' Sri Lanka warned on war crimes Tamils hunt for news of relatives
The pro-rebel TamilNet website accused the army of renewed shelling of civilians, with hundreds "being killed and maimed in the carnage caused by the army".
Reports from the war zone cannot be verified as no independent journalists are allowed there.
Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians are thought to be still trapped in the war zone.
Sri Lankan government spokesman Anusha Palpita was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency on Friday: "The president assured that within the next 48 hours the thousands of Tamil civilians will be freed from the clutches of the Tamil Tigers. All territory will be freed from Tiger control."
The government and the rebels blame each other for civilian casualties
The United Nations says it is sending the secretary general's chief of staff, Vijay Nambiar, to press for an end to the fighting.
Mr Nambiar is returning to Sri Lanka a month after he met President Rajapaksa but failed to secure access to the war zone for humanitarian teams.
The UN secretary general's spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Mr Nambiar would raise the fate of trapped civilians.The UN secretary general's spokeswoman Marie Okabe said Mr Nambiar would raise the fate of trapped civilians.
"The secretary general has urged the government of Sri Lanka to explore all possible options to bring the conflict to an end without further bloodshed," Ms Okabe said."The secretary general has urged the government of Sri Lanka to explore all possible options to bring the conflict to an end without further bloodshed," Ms Okabe said.
Out of reach
The authorities and the rebels blame each other for civilian deaths.The authorities and the rebels blame each other for civilian deaths.
SATELLITE IMAGERY class="" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/13_05_09_srilanka_12may2009.pdf">Human rights groups' report on High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and the Conflict in Sri Lanka [7.36 MB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html">Download the reader here class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/8047376.stm">Sri Lanka images 'prove damage' class="" href="/1/hi/uk/8050244.stm">Sri Lanka warned on war crimes class="" href="/1/hi/world/south_asia/8039621.stm">Tamils hunt for news of relatives International Committee of the Red Cross director of operations Pierre Krahenbuhl, based in Geneva, said: "Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe."
On Thursday the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said a chartered ferry had been unable to deliver aid or evacuate the wounded for three days.
"Our staff are witnessing an unimaginable humanitarian catastrophe," said ICRC director of operations Pierre Krahenbuhl, based in Geneva.
There are also reports that staff have quit the last hospital in the war zone.
"Despite high-level assurances, the lack of security on the ground means that our sea operations continue to be stalled, and this is unacceptable," Mr Krahenbuhl said.
"People are left to their own devices."
The ICRC says it requires security and unimpeded access to the area immediately.
In a statement, it said another aid ship, from the World Food Programme, was also waiting to deliver supplies to the war zone.
Hospital abandoned
The BBC's Charles Haviland in Sri Lanka says there are unverified reports that medical staff have abandoned the main hospital in the rebel-held area because of persistent shelling.
The government and the rebels blame each other for civilian casualties
One report said that about 400 badly wounded patients had been left behind, along with more than 100 bodies awaiting burial.
Earlier on Thursday, a military spokesman told the BBC that unmanned aircraft had filmed more than 2,000 people wading across the lagoon which borders the fighting zone on the non-seaward side.
Brig Udaya Nanayakkara said the civilians had braved rebel fire to reach government-held areas.
"There is a large number of people crossing, and the (rebels) fired at them. Four people were killed, 14 were wounded," he said.
The Sri Lankan army's version of events cannot be independently verified and there has been no comment from the rebels.
Nearly 200,000 civilians are believed to be living in the government's overcrowded displacement camps.
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Have you been affected by the fighting? Are you in a displacement camp? Have you seen people trying to flee the war zone? Send us your stories using the form below.Have you been affected by the fighting? Are you in a displacement camp? Have you seen people trying to flee the war zone? Send us your stories using the form below.
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