The Government made logistical arrangements for a convoy of 20 lorries laden with 248 metric tons of essential food items to be rushed to civilians displaced in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, due to heavy fighting in these sectors, Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES), S.B. Divaratne said yesterday.

The second food convoy of 50 lorries of the World Food Programme (WFP) was scheduled to leave last Friday but was held up.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa on hearing about the delay from Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, had said the Government must take the responsibility of feeding its people and directed S. B. Divaratne not to delay in sending the food relief the latest by Monday morning.

Divaratne said that the two Government Agents of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, Vethanayagam and Mrs Emelda Sukumar should be thanked for keeping awake the whole of Sunday and Coordinating with Vavuniya GA Mrs P. S. M. Charles to make emergency purchases of 248 metric tons of flour, sugar, dhal and vegetable oil and find 20 lorries, get them security checked and sealed to leave along the Nedunkerni route last morning.

The food Convoy was accompanied by the two GAs and the Divisional Secretaries of Karachchi and Kandawal. Divaratne said that he had requested the Government Agents to purchase 400 metric tons of rice locally from farmers in the two districts.

Unconfirmed reports from Vavuniya stated that the 20 lorries dispatched by the Government had got stuck at a point between Puliyankulam and Nedunkerni due to damage to a bridge by 2 p.m. yesterday and was unable to proceed any further.

Meanwhile the spokesman for the UN Agencies, Gordon Weiss said yesterday that the first convoy of the WFP comprising of 51 lorries had made their departure to Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu via Mankulam via Oddisuddan, but this time the Military top brass in the Vanni had advised them to avoid the Mankulam route due to heavy fighting and shelling and use the Nedunkerni road for their own safety.

"We cannot use this road which had not been in use for a long period until such time on Tuesday the UN Security people drive up from Puliyankulam via Nedunkerni to reach Oddisuddan and declare it safe.

We have loaded 750 metric tons of essential food items into 50 trucks and after we work out the new route with the Government, we have to get the agreement of the LTTE to use this route without any artillery or shelling as we cannot risk the lives of the local or the six or ten expatriate UN staff accompanying the convoy.

"Most probably we could depart by Wednesday if nothing bad crops up and we will travel from Vavuniya via Puliyankulam via Nedunkerni via Oddisuddan reach three destinations where in the presence of the Government Agents and Divisional Secretaries unload the food at Pudhukuduirrppu, Mulliyawalai and Dharmapuram for distribution as instructed by the Donor Community.