Private sector, NGOs fund housing reconstruction
 

by Ramani Kangaraarachchi and Irangika Range

Private sector organisations, NGO's and donors are actively engaged in housing projects for tsunami affected people to keep up with the government's target of providing permanent houses to all the affected families by next year.

Several NGO's and private sector organisations presented their housing projects to the Presidential task forces for relief and rebuilding the nation at a meeting in Colombo yesterday.

Construction work has already been started on 5,000 housing units and over 15,000 households have received the Rs. 50,000 first installment to rebuild damaged houses outside the buffer zone.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) presented their cash grant scheme of Rs. 100,000 to 250,000 per household for housing repair and reconstruction. Holcim is reconstructing 500 housing units through strategic partnership with key local NGOs.

The Galleon Tsunami Relief Fund established by Raj Rajaratnam and administered by Hemas Holdings, Singer and John Keells Holdings is building 150 houses and 200 condominium apartments. World Vision International is building 3,980 transitional shelters and 13,350 permanent-housing units.

Chairman of the TAFREN Mano Tittawella said providing the permanent houses for tsunami affected people is a challenge and the most important aspect. We found NGO's, donors and private sector who joined hands immediately with the government very effectively to face this challenge and we have been able to complete a large portion to rebuild their lives," he said.

The World Bank Country Director, Peter Harrold said that there are lot of barriers to find raw materials including sand and timber to reconstruct houses. Therefore flexible and transparent policies should be there to achieve the target, he said.

The latest figures published by the Department of Census and Statistics put the number of fully damaged housing units at 41,393 and partially damaged housing units at 36, 168 which add up to a total of 77,561.

Pledges have been received from 212 donors for a total of about 97,000 permanent housing units. Over 170 MoUs have already been signed with 111 donors for 36,600 units.