Lanka's children paying high price for escalating violence: UNICEF

Colombo, May 16 (UNI) The United Nations Agency for Children today claimed that ''Sri Lankan children in areas most affected by recent clashes are paying a high price for the escalating tension in the island'' and urged the parties to ''take immediate action'' to avoid the country slipping back to bloody ethnic war.

''Thousands of children are still displaced from their homes following the recent violence in Trincomalee District in which six children were killed and others injured or severely traumatised.

UNICEF knows of at least nine children in other districts, including Jaffna and Vavuniya, who have been killed or injured in violent incidents, UNICEF in a statement said here today, adding that some were victims of shooting while others lost their lives from attacks using grenades or claymore mines.

The UNICEF statement has come barely a couple of days after the LTTE accused the international community, especially the UN agencies, of remaining silent over the recent escalation of violence and the killing of Tamil civilians.

It also pointed out that the schools in many areas remained closed due to ''insecurity or occupation by families who have fled their homes'' while the truce-related violence and insecurity had also forced hundreds of families to abandon their livelihoods increasing their vulnerability and dependence on humanitarian assistance.

''The ongoing violence underlines the urgency for the parties to take immediate action to avoid slipping back into a state of war,'' UNICEF said, urging both the government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to cease the path of violence and to return to the Geneva talks. ''Negotiations offer the best hope of peace. Further, UNICEF calls on the parties to respect their obligation under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians, particularly children, in times of conflict,'' the statement said.

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