95% of tsunami victims have been provided with temporary shelters - Ranaviraja

NEARLY 95 per cent of tsunami victims living in tents have now been provided temporary shelters in the affected areas in the North, South, Eastern and Western Provinces under the Temporary Accommodation Project (TAP) co-ordianted and implemented by the Government with the support of International agencies and Non-Governmental organisations, said Tilak Ranaviraja, Commissioner General of Essential Services and Chairman of Task Force for Relief (TAFOR).

Ranaviraja was speaking at a meeting after officially settling 254 families living in tents in temporary houses constructed at Modarawila, Panadura built with Japanese assistance and executed through the International Organisation of Migrants (IOM) and co-ordianted by TAP.

The Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan Hiroshi Karube and Chief of Mission in Sri Lanka of IOM Mary Sheehan were also present.

The temporary housing settlement project at Modarawila is one of the largest number of housing units constructed in one single location under this program.

For a large number of families, these temporary shelters each with minimum floor areas of 250 sq. feet together with electricity, water supplies and sanitation, on their own admission, provided far more better shelter than the homes they had been living even before the tsunami.

Ranaviraja who co-ordianted the Temporary Accommodation Project said they had been able to construct altogether 42,000 temporary houses in all affected districts within three months providing far more better accommodation than in tents to the victims till they are provided with permanent houses, though the original target was to set up 30,000.

This shows that if they make a determined effort they could achieve the targets.

He thanked the Japanese Government and the people for the donation for construction of the Modarawila settlement project and Sheehan and the staff for assisting TAP to carry out the project. He also thanked the district government of officials for co-ordinating in the effort.

Karube said the Japanese Government was pleased to assist in this project and thanked the IOM for utilising the Japanese assistance to support the relief initiatives of the Sri Lankan Government.

After six months the most crucial issue at this stage is restoring the people's lives where housing and livelihood are the main areas to be addressed very urgently.

Sheehan said the Modarawila Project is one of the biggest projects they had set up in one single location and thanked the Japanese government for the assistance provided.

She commended Ranaviraja and the TAP Office staff for the support to the organisation in carrying out their tasks at the national and district levels.

W.G. Mithrarantne, Director TAP was also present.