The twelfth batch of 455 patients and civilians was evacuated on board "MV Green Ocean" on the 20th March 2009. The evacuation of patients and civilians trapped in LTTE Clutches in the un-cleared areas in Mullaithivu is being carried out under the ICRC flag. Sri Lanka Navy is providing safe passage for evacuees on humanitarian grounds.
The patients among the evacuees, upon disembarkation at Pulmuadai , were provided with emergency medical treatment by Naval doctors and were rushed to the Field and the Base hospitals in Pulmudai , and the General hospital in Padaviya by the naval personnel for further treatment. Elaborate arrangements have been made to treat the sick and the wounded evacuees once they reach cleared areas. Hospitals have been equipped with adequate stocks of essential drugs and specialist medical personnel are assigned to treat the sick and the wounded as they are transferred to hospitals.
The twelfth batch consisted of 147 adult males, 187 adult females and 121 children in total. Among them were 77 male and 51 female patients needing medical treatment. The evacuees had been languishing in pain and fear due to the LTTE's adamant stance to hold all civilians captive in the un-cleared areas as human shields despite the repeated appeals by the International Community to free all civilians to arrive in safe areas immediately.
In the mean time, Navy rescued another 53 civilians fleeing from the LTTE hostage in the seas of Chundikulam on the same day around 1910 hrs. The rescued, consisting 16 males, 16 females and 21 children had been found on board five white flag hoisted fiber glass dinghies while attempting to flee from the LTTE clutches in the remaining un-cleared areas of Mulaithivu. Upon rescuing, the rescued civilians were brought ashore at the Munai Beach and provided with much needed food, refreshments and medical assistance.
The exodus of the innocent Tamil civilians escaping from the LTTE clutches is now on the rise. This is largely due to the confidence they have placed in the Government Security Forces whose humanitarian operations have helped Tamil civilians to free from all sort of atrocities inflicted on them by the LTTE.
The Navy, as part of its humanitarian operations, has put in place a number of comprehensive evacuation measures to facilitate the evacuation process. Naval personnel and vessels along with stand-by rescue and medical teams are on special deployment in the North-eastern seas for assisting Tamil civilians fleeing from LTTE clutches.