Senior advisor to the President, Basil Rajapaksa yesterday assured that the government has made all necessary preparations to provide humanitarian asisstance to all IDPs fleeing the conflict zone and help them to enter government controlled areas. Sufficient supplies of essential foods and medicines are also being sent to people in uncleared areas.

On the instructions of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES) S. B. Divaratne and Secretary to the Ministry of Nation Building W. K. K Kumasiri in consultation with UNDP Resident Representative Neil Buhne and Resident Representative of the WFP Mohamed Salaheen have taken immediate steps to send requirements of food relief and medicine to those displaced as a result of the intense fighting in the Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu sectors, he said.

"We are maintaining sufficient buffer stocks of food and medicine that are required monthly in three warehouses in the two districts which would be monitored by the two Government Agents, Divisional Secretaries and Medical Superintendents districts who will keep the government informed in case of any shortages," he said.

A convoy of 150 lorries have been loaded with the required humanitarian assistance essential foods, medicines and tents is expected to leave Vavuniya this week. It would be accompanied by ICRC and UN representatives, Rajapaksa said.

"We are maintaining buffer stocks of food and medicine in WFP and UNDP warehouses in Vavuniya".

As the LITE is preventing the displaced from leaving the areas of conflict it is only a trickle that is entering the government controlled areas seeking humanitarian assistance though prior arrangements have been made to accept 100,000 internally displaced persons, he noted.

As a result of the intensity of the fighting in the Kilinochchi area, the people have fled towards Dharmapuram while to the people who were displaced from Mannar have fled to Visvamadu area and may go further East to enter government controlled areas as time goes by, he said.

"As we have studied the pattern of displacement in the East, the people displaced from Muttur went to Samphur and from there went to Eichilampattu and Vakarai before they crossed the LTTE controlled areas to enter government controlled areas. Similarly the people of Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu would take some time to cross borders and enter government controlled areas, Rajapaksa said.