Remaining tsunami displaced to be resettled
Uditha Kumarasinghe and Irangika Range
Chief Government Whip Urban Development and Sacred Area Development
Minister Dinesh Gunawardene told Parliament yesterday, the Government
has taken immediate measures to resettle the displaced people who are
temporarily sheltered in the camps in the North and East at present
owing to the tsunami.
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Minister Dinesh Gunawardene |
The resettlement activities of these tsunami affected people were
delayed due to the situation which prevailed in the North and East
during the past few years.
The Government has been able to expedite resettlement activities with
the present peaceful atmosphere created in these areas, he said.
Except these displaced people in the North and East, there is a small
number of tsunami-displaced people in the Moratuwa area.
The Government has already identified required land areas in the
North and East to resettle these displaced people.
“In addition, steps will also be taken to overcome the shelter
problem of the tsunami affected people in the Moratuwa area as well,”
the Minister said.
Minister Gunawardene said 23,275 people died in the tsunami while
193,765 families in Puttalam, Gampaha, Colombo, Kalutara, Galle, Matara,
Hambantota, Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and
Jaffna districts have been displaced due to the tsunami.
In addition, 119,562 houses have been destroyed in these tsunami hit
districts. The Government has rebuilt 68,814 houses which were destroyed
by the tsunami while non-governmental institutions have also
reconstructed 43,279 such houses, he said.
“As a country, we have received a total grant of US$ 706.15 million
and aid to the tune of US$ 300.43 million from January 2005 upto March
31 this year,” he said.
2004 tsunami
Death toll 23,275
Displaced families 193,765
Destroyed houses 119,562
Houses re-built by Government 68,814
Houses reconstructed by NGOs 43,279
Total grants from January 2005 to
March 2009 US$ 706.15m
Aid received US$ 300.43m
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