Even as the catastrophic human tragedy unfolds in Sri Lanka, the island's government is refusing to allow aid workers or journalists into the country, banning the delivery of humanitarian relief outside of the official camps. With at least 50,000 civilians unable to escape the exchange of gunfire and shelling between the military and the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) along the northeastern coast of Sri Lanka, a UN spokesman described the disintegrating situation as a "bloodbath." The Sri Lankan government's actions have directly jeopardized the lives and security of tens of thousands of citizens, violating long accepted standards for humanitarian aid.