Brussels, JULY 25, SPA -- The European Commission on Wednesday said it wassending 15 million euros (20.6 million dollars) in aid to helpvictims of the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka, REPORTED DPA. The commission funds will be used to provide food, housing,sanitation, water and education. It will also finance programmes tohelp conflict victims find new sources of income and to preparepeople in Sri Lanka for natural disasters. The new aid package will go to conflict communities in Sri Lanka,but also aims to improve access to water and sanitation for SriLankan refugees living in neighbouring India. EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel said he was extremelyworried by the increase in violence affecting Sri Lanka. "The brutality of the conflict is appalling and major violationsof international humanitarian law are perpetrated in a climate ofimpunity," Michel said. He also urged the conflict parties to ensure the security ofinternational aid agency workers and give them access to victims. Deliberate attacks against relief organizations have caused thedeath of at least 25 aid workers since April 2006, Michel said. Since 1983, the conflict between the Liberation Tigers of TamilEelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government in the North and East ofthe country has claimed more than 70,000 lives. Some 800,000 people have been internally displaced and a further100,000 Sri Lankan Tamils have fled to refugee camps in India. Around 4,500 people have been killed in the last 12 monthsincluding at least 1,500 civilians, the commission said. Sri Lanka also suffered its worst disaster in late 2004 when atsunami generated by an undersea earthquake off Indonesia sweptashore, killing more than 30,000 people and devastating swathes ofthe coast.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/470297