51.   President Ali Abdallah Saleh has sent his defence, agriculture and housing ministers to the disaster areas in recent days.

52.   Rakad, public works and housing minister, was named acting oil minister last week after the resignation of acting oil minister Ahmed Said al-Badi.

53.   The chief housing minister, Abdul Qadir, is the governor of the eastern province of Nangahar and rarely spends time in the capital.

54.   The defence ministry said in a statement that the LTTE had chosen a public gathering to attack the housing minister knowing that heavy civilian casualties could result.