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ICRC criticised

COLOMBO: The International Committee of the Red Cross has again come under heavy criticism from the Sri Lankan press on Sunday as the government rejected new conditions set by the aid agency to take food to rebel-held areas.

The privately-owned Sunday Times urged the government to explore "other avenues" to transport food to civilians in areas under Tamil Tiger control if the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) imposed unfair conditions.

Food ships to the Tamil Tiger-held northern Jaffna peninsula have been held up at the Colombo port for nearly a month with the ICRC insisting that it will not "neutralise" ships that call at a government-held port in the north.-AFP