Govt maintaining only four relief villages:

IDP numbers drop to 10,832

Resettlement complete in Mannar, Jaffna, Vavuniya, K’nochchi:

Chaminda PERERA

The government yesterday said the number of Internally Displaced People (IDPs) living in welfare villages have dropped to 10,832 and they would be resettled in their original places of residence after the completion of the demining process.

The government is maintaining only four relief villages where these IDPs have been given accommodation.

According to Army officials in charge of resettlement, half of the IDPs to be resettled are visiting their relatives and friends outside the camps.

The resettlement process has been fully completed in Mannar, Jaffna, Vavuniya and Kilinochchi districts and the resettlement process is going on in areas where demining has been completed in the Mullaitivu district. Officials in charge of resettlement added that mine fields in the Mullaitivu district have become a major impediment to resettlement.

Over 96 IDPs living in the Pudukuduirruppu area and in a transit camp in Jaffna will also be shifted to the Mullaitivu district on completion of the demining process.

Officials added that the government succeeded in resettling more than 258,446 persons displaced by terrorist atrocities so far and they have been provided with all facilities.

Most of these resettled families have resumed agricultural activities and the government has provided assistance including the fertilizer subsidy to them.

The government over the last 24 months has released 27,720 IDPs from all welfare villages on humanitarian grounds. They include pregnant women, infants with family members, university students, elderly people, clergy, foreign passport holders and people with special medical conditions.

A number of IDPs were released on court orders.

Over 9,000 IDPs who were given temporary accommodation in the Jaffna district were resettled in their original places of residence in the Kilinochchi and Mannar districts too.

The newly resettled families are provided roofing sheets, kitchen utensils, dry rations among many other assistance until they resume their livelihood activities.