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by Ranil Wijayapala

A national survey on refugees will be conducted to ascertain the proper data of refugees in the country due to the ongoing conflict, Rehabilitation, Resettlement and Refugees Minister Dr. Jayalath Jayawardane said on Thursday.

He told a meeting of representatives of foreign and local NGOs operating in the North and East that such a survey will help the Ministry to assist the refugees and making strategies to help them.

The Minister said the Ministry is now in the process of making a questionnaire to facilitate this survey and the survey will be conducted once this process is over.

He said such a survey will help the Ministry to ascertain the number of refugees for financial and administrative purposes.

He also requested the NGO's to help the Ministry in making this event a success as this would benefit those people who have become refugees due to the conflict and compensate them for the damages and difficulties suffered.

People who have taken refuge in Tamil Nadu in India will also be covered under this survey, the Minister added.

According to the available statistics 42,000 families are in welfare centres, some of them for over 15 years and about 156,000 families are staying with friends and relatives. An estimated 100,000 refugees are in Tamil Nadu due to the ongoing conflict in the country.

The Government provides dry rations to about 202,255 families (726,425 persons) valued at over Rs. 2,500 million annually. Budgetary provisions for relief in the year 2001 had been about 3,000 million which includes welfare assistance to the internally displaced.

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