Internally displaced persons:

Return to Mannar

Chaminda PERERA

The Government is planning to begin the resettlement of civilians displaced by LTTE atrocities from Silavathurai in the Mannar district next month.

According to Resettlement and Relief Services Minister Rishard Badhiudeen, the Ministry is making arrangements to resettle these civilians in par with the international standards.

He said all civilians in 15 welfare camps in the Vavuniya district would be resettled in their original places of residence after the mine clearance process is completed.

The Government has the experience of resettling more than 170,000 civilians in the Eastern province and the same strategy is being followed to resettle Northern IDPs from Silvathurai.

He said the Ministry is fully prepared to provide accommodation to any number of civilians fleeing from the uncleared areas.

“We are fully prepared to face the sudden influx of civilians from the uncleared area. Schools and public places in the Vavuniya district have been kept ready to provide accommodation to them,” he said.

Minister Badhiudeen said cadjan roofed houses would also be set up in the Vavuniya district after civilians’ influx to the cleared area gets doubled.

“We hope more civilians will flee the no fire zone to which the LTTE terrorists have retreated within next few months.

For the past four days, more than 2,000 civilians arrived in the Government controlled area. This number will get doubled soon as civilians are facing immense hardships and obstacles from the LTTE terrorists who have sought refuge in the no fire zone.

The Minister said World Food Program’s Country Director appreciated the Government’s mission to ensure that IDPs are provided all basic amenities including food without any discrimination.

“The WFP Country Director met me today and expressed his complete satisfaction over what the Government is doing for the welfare of civilians in the welfare camps and the people in the uncleared area,” he said.