Aid groups demand Sri Lanka access

The Red Cross and the United Nations have called on the Sri Lankan government to allow them unrestricted access to refugee camps near the former conflict zone.At least 280,000 people have been displaced due to fighting between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the military, and many of them have been sent to overcrowded camps in the country's north.Pressure continues to mount on the Sri Lankan government to open areas that have been off limits to journalists and aid workers, amid reports that thousands of civilians were killed in the crossfire between the army and the LTTE in the final weeks of the war.The request comes a day after a decision by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to suspend its aid operations in Sri Lanka due to restrictions placed on it by the government.The ICRC told Al Jazeera on Wednesday, a day after the government declared victory over the LTTE, that "additional restrictions" meant it had no choice but to halt its activities.