The Australian Government has been asked to intervene following an order by the Sri Lankan government for aid workers to leave the country's northern war zone.
Colombo says it can't guarantee the safety of aid workers as it launches an aggressive battle to oust the rebel Tamil Tigers.
The Government is trying to avoid a repeat of the 2006 massacre of 17 local aid workers employed by a French aid agency.
The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) has asked the Australian government to bring the conflicting Sri Lankan parties back to the negotiation table.
ACFID's executive director, Paul O'Callaghan, says the Australian government should also publicly urge the Sri Lankan government to ensure innocent civilians have access to humanitarian aid.
"From our perspective is that the humanitarian situation now for well over 150,000 people is extreme," he said.
"It's an extreme situation even before the decision yesterday by the government to exclude foreign aid workers.
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Colombo says it can't guarantee the safety of aid workers as it launches an aggressive battle to oust the rebel Tamil Tigers.
The Government is trying to avoid a repeat of the 2006 massacre of 17 local aid workers employed by a French aid agency.
The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) has asked the Australian government to bring the conflicting Sri Lankan parties back to the negotiation table.
ACFID's executive director, Paul O'Callaghan, says the Australian government should also publicly urge the Sri Lankan government to ensure innocent civilians have access to humanitarian aid.
"From our perspective is that the humanitarian situation now for well over 150,000 people is extreme," he said.
"It's an extreme situation even before the decision yesterday by the government to exclude foreign aid workers.
Source
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