TRO contacts : Telephone : + 94 112 693254 (Colombo) Telephone : + 94 21 228 3947 (Killinochi) Website : www.troonline.org Email : [email protected] www.tchr.net HEAD OFFICE: Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR/CTDH 9, rue des Peupliers - 95140 Garge les Gonesse - FRANCE Contact person : S. V. Kirubaharan – General Secretary Fax: + 33 1 40 38 28 74 - Email: [email protected]  / [email protected] TCHR-UK Tamil Centre for Human Rights - TCHR/CTDH PO Box 182, Manchester M16 8ED, UNITED KINGDOM Contact person : Deirdre McConnell – Director International Programme Fax: + 44 161 860 4609 - Email: [email protected]  / [email protected] TCHR-NETHERLANDS Tamil Centrum voor Mensenrechten- TCHR Steelingmolen 43 1703 TE Heerhugowaard, THE NETHERLANDS Contact person : Sinniah Indiran Fax : + 31 - 72 - 57 15 801 Email : [email protected]

With reference to our Urgent Action Appeal of 28 December 2004 (Ref DR011/UA/2004) on the human tragedy caused by the tsunami tidal waves, in the North East of the island of Sri Lanka, we give an update on the latest statistics and information on the ground situation in the North East.

TCHR sources in the North East have updated the figures of those killed, missing, displaced and injured by the tsunami tidal waves as follows: 

Despite several urgent appeals made from the North East, assistance rendered to Sri Lanka by nearly twenty countries has still not reached the affected people in the North East. The death toll is increasing as the rescue and recovery operations continue.

News reaching from Sri Lanka indicates that relief trucks have been blocked from reaching the frontier of the Tamil region.

"……………..an official of an international aid agency reported today that Sinhalese mobs were blocking relief trucks from reaching the frontier, diverting the supplies to their own hard-hit communities. At least four trucks were stopped by a low-ranking government official from crossing into the Tamil zone, said the official". (http://www.breakingnews.ie/2004/12/29/story182380.html)

Doctors and community workers in the North East said yesterday that no help had been given to them by any government official or by any government institutions.

Tamil parliamentarians from the North East have appealed to the donor countries and agencies to help directly the Tamil and Muslim people whose lives have been destroyed by the Tsunami.

There are about 352 Relief Centres working round the clock in the North East without any help from the government.

As the government help failed to reach the North East areas, the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation – TRO, which continues to help the victims is appealing for international help.