Compensation for over 15,000 Gulf War returnees

Rajmi Manatunga

COLOMBO: Over 15,000 Kuwait returnees who did not receive compensation after the Gulf War will be granted compensation next month.

The Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said around 15,500 returnees who were unable to claim compensation from the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) will receive recompense under the initiative.

"Among the recipients are persons who were not granted compensation by the UNCC due to failure to provide adequate information regarding their stay in or departure from Kuwait, and those who could not apply for compensation before December 31, 1994," SLBFE Manager (Kuwait Compensation) S. M. K. D. Dharmawardene said.

He said the Government has decided to grant Rs 75,000 to each of these Kuwait returnees who did not receive compensation. The proposal has already received Cabinet approval.

"After processing the applications, the proposals will be forwarded to the Board for approval. We hope to commence granting compensation from next month," he said.