IDP centre conditions good and impressive - US Congress delegates

The US Congress delegation said they saw the standards of relief villages where the Internally Displaced are accommodated are good and impressive, and of a much higher standard than described by some media.

They said so, after meeting President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees yesterday.

The delegation led by Congressman Heath Shuler (Democrat - North Carolina) that arrived in Sri Lanka on May 26 went on an observation tour of the relief centres where civilians liberated from the LTTE are being accommodated. During the meeting with the President, the Congress delegates discussed the possibility of providing assistance for the IDPs, and said the United States is committed to help Sri Lanka in such areas.

The President explained to them the need for de-mining of the areas that have been extensively mined by the LTTE as a matter of priority, and the provision of infrastructure facilities before re-settling the civilians.

The US delegation also discussed programs being carried out by the Northern Development Task Force to re-settle the displaced within a short period, such as 180 days, and also about the development processes to be initiated in the area to expedite the setting up of an environment suitable for livelihood development of the resettled people.