Top UN humanitarian official visits Sri Lanka over civilian casualties

Colombo: The United Nations' top humanitarian official has held meetings with top Sri Lankan officials amid growing reports of heavy civilian casualties and outbreaks of disease in the northern war zone.

John Holmes' visit came a day after a top health official in the war zone said government artillery attacks and air raids had killed at least 38 ethnic Tamil civilians and wounded 140 others.

Human rights groups have accused the government of indiscriminately shelling the war zone and accused the Tamil Tiger rebels of using the civilian population as human shields and shooting at many who have tried to flee.

Holmes met with Sri Lanka's Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama on Thursday afternoon and was expected to meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa during his visit as well.