Government ready to meet civilians’ needs

Chaminda Perera

The Government is fully prepared to meet the needs of over 35,000 civilians who entered the cleared area yesterday after being kept for months as hostages by the LTTE.

Resettlement and Relief Services Ministry Secretary ULM Haldeen said all arrangements are in place to provide accommodation to the civilians in temporary shelters, tents and schools in the Vavuniya district.

He said more than 10,000 civilians could easily be accommodated in temporary shelters which the Ministry has already erected in the Settikulam Divisional Secretariat Division while several schools in the district have already been identified to provide accommodation to these people.

“UNICEF and UNHCR have promised adequate tents and tempoary shelter if the civilian influx to Government controlled areas double. They have enough tents and temporary shelter to cater to almost all civilians coming from uncleared areas,”

Haldeen said. He said the Government will face no problem with regard to the provision of accommodation or other basic amenities as a massive civilian influx was expected by the authorities after the LTTE activities were limited to the No Fire Zone.

Haldeen said the Ministry, jointly with the World Food Program will provide cooked meals for them while hundreds of water bowzers have been deployed to ensure better water facilities for civilians.

Sanitary facilities in the villages and schools where these civilians are to be accommodated have already been enhanced and any shortcoming or difficulty in this process would swiftly be rectified by the officials, he said.