The Government is taking urgent measures to ease the food situation in Vakarai. Steps have already been taken to allow at least 15 Non Government Organizations carrying out relief work in the East to assist in the food relief effort at Vakarai.

Social workers in Vakarai say the problem of food shortages there has been caused due to the hostile acts of the LTTE, which disrupted the flow of goods; and also the movement of a large number of persons from within the LTTE controlled areas into Government held areas. The Government is now able to organize the proper movement of goods to the people of Vakarai, and carry out distribution with its own resources and those of NGOs and other voluntary organizations.

The Commissioner General of Essential Services is taking special action to ease the current shortages of essential supplies at Vakarai, and it is expected that the people there will have adequate supplies within the next week, once the distribution mechanism is in place.

With regard to Jaffna , the Government is regularly monitoring the situation on the supply of essentials to the peninsula, and steady improvement is expected. Technical problems in unloading of goods at KKS harbour have now been resolved. Action is being taken to expedite the turn around of vessels from Trincomalee and Colombo that carry goods to Jaffna . Urgent measures are being taken to obtain more vessels for this work. Conditions in Jaffna are expected to further improve as the fuel situation in the peninsula has now been stabilized.

Trade sources said that if the LTTE extends as assurance of safe supply of goods to the Jaffna peninsula, there could be a rapid improvement in the supplies.