Sri Lankan talks should address humanitarian strife: ICRC

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2006

GENEVA (AFP) — The international Red Cross has called on the warring parties in Sri Lanka to discuss humanitarian strife during their face-to-face talks in Geneva, after fighting in recent months left nearly 3,000 dead and forced more than 200,000 people to flee their homes. "We think humanitarian issues could figure on the agenda and should be addressed during the upcoming talks here in Geneva," said Reto Meister, delegate general for Asia at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on Thursday.

Sri Lankan government officials and senior representatives of the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam arrived in the western Swiss city ahead of their Norwegian-brokered talks, which are due to begin Saturday. More than 201,800 Sri Lankans have fled their homes,...