May 03 in Mullivaikkal

On May 3, statements from political and humanitarian sources highlighted worsening conditions and ongoing allegations of severe violations in the final conflict zone.

The LTTE Political Head, B. Nadesan, accused the Sri Lankan government of deliberately carrying out what he described as a “horrendous act of genocide.” He alleged that restrictions on food, medicine, and humanitarian access were being used against Tamil civilians trapped in the conflict area. In his statement to TamilNet, he further claimed that the LTTE political wing remained willing to support the delivery of humanitarian supplies and facilitate international access, and that efforts were being made to assist civilians suffering from hunger and starvation.

In a separate report, the United States State Department cited local sources indicating continued heavy shelling. It described a multi-barrel artillery attack in which more than 40 shells were reportedly fired near civilian-populated areas between the Mullivaikkal Pillayar temple and the coastline, suggesting sustained military operations in densely populated zones.

Humanitarian concerns were further reinforced by findings from the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL), which documented severe shortages of food and medical care. The report stated that many civilians reportedly died due to starvation, exhaustion, or lack of medical access, in addition to those killed by shelling and gunfire. It also noted that the scale of malnutrition observed was described by a senior United Nations official as among the worst they had ever witnessed, with further investigation required into the impact on vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.

https://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=29251