U.N.humanitarian chief John Holmes, met with government officials in the capital and asked for immediate humanitarian access to the combat zone.

VOA: standard.2009.04.26

He says,"It was the right time for me to take myself out of my comfort zone, and to push myself to be bolder."

VOA: standard.2010.04.16

Sri Lanka has rejected international calls for relief workers to gain access to the combat zone.

VOA: standard.2009.04.26

Pyongyang announced in May it was cancelling all wage and rent agreements for the zone, and demanded that the South Korean companies sharply raise their payments.

VOA: standard.2009.09.11

Besson rejects criticism over the closure, saying the zone, known locally as "the jungle", was not a humanitarian camp but rather a hub for human traffickers and a place where people were exploited.

VOA: standard.2009.09.22

It says the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have lost many senior leaders and are now confined in a 20 square kilometer safety zone that has been designated by the government for civilians seeking sanctuary from the fighting.

VOA: standard.2009.04.06

The government's outright rejection for a truce with Tamil Tiger rebels came a day after the European Union said the situation of civilians trapped in the war zone is dangerous and called for a cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid into the region.

VOA: standard.2009.03.17

Since last year's inauguration of conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak who North Korea calls a "traitor" North Korea has restricted access to the zone, detained a South Korean executive for more than two months without trial, and cancelled all of the contracts governing rent and wages.

VOA: standard.2009.06.05