Thousands of families converged on Kilinochchi when battles broke out elsewhere in the Wanni.

ECONOMIST: Sri Lanka's war

Hicham Mandoudi, who heads the ICRC's Wanni operations, says many are exhausted after fleeing several times since hostilities escalated in July, each time abandoning more of their belongings.

ECONOMIST: The martial mood intensifies

The ICRC is the only international humanitarian agency left in the Wanni, after the UN and others pulled out in September, when the government said it could not guarantee their safety.

ECONOMIST: The martial mood intensifies