Japan's peace envoy to Sri Lanka said on Saturday the absence of a tsunami aid sharing deal between the government and Tamil Tiger rebels would be an obstacle for donors sending assistance to coastal communities, Reuters reported. "The lack of a joint mechanism will be a major handicap," Yasushi Akashi told reporters in Colombo during his 10th visit as peace envoy for Sri Lanka's top aid donor nation. "In the absence of a joint mechanism, donor countries and the government will have to find alternative ways for aid delivery," Akashi said. December's tsunami swept nearly 40,000 people to their deaths and another 500,000 were left homeless in Sri Lanka. Although victims have received emergency assistance, the process of resettling them permanently has been slowed by the failure of the government to agree a deal on sharing aid with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Political opposition to the deal by anti-LTTE groups and an increase in violence in the island's restive east -- blamed on fighting between the rebels and a breakaway faction -- has only added to the pressure and worried donors. --more 2335 Local Time 2035 GMT
