Govt resettles record number
10,000 IDPs sent back in one week:
Dharma Sri Abeyratne
Around 10,000 Internally Displaced Persons have been resettled in
their native places within the last seven days providing them with
health, shelter, sanitary, education, water, electricity and other
facilities in their villages, said Disaster Management and Human Rights
Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe.
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Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe at the press briefing
yesterday. Picture by Udesh Gunaratne |
Addressing a progress review press briefing of the resettlement
program held at the Presidential Secretariat yesterday, the Minister
said the Government has clearly shown commitment to resettle the IDPs as
quickly as possible. The Minister said within a seven day period, 9,860
IDPs have been resettled and this might be a record for resettling IDPs.
“By last week 153,021 IDPs had to be resettled. But after a week the
number has come down to 143,161 as a result of the crash resettlement
program implemented by the Government.
“At present 132,748 IDPs are in Vavuniya, 3,373 IDPs in Jaffna, 2,970
IDPs in Trincomalee, 970 IDPs in Mannar and around 3,100 IDPs are
receiving treatment in several hospitals. A total number of 143,161 IDPs
are yet to be resettled. Most probably by December 31 the Government
will resettle a great number of remaining IDPs,” Minister Samarasinghe
added.
He said the resettlement process depends on the on going de-mining
activities. The Government has already put into operation 24 de-mining
machines.
The Government has purchased 19 de-mining machines out of 24 while
the UN has offered five machines.
Foreign delegates who visited the IDP welfare villages have confirmed
that the Government has done the maximum for the IDPs and the delegates
were highly satisfied on the commitment of the Government.
“The delegates have confirmed that the Government has taken every
possible step for the IDPs and the resettlement process.
The ambassadors of European countries have also appreciated the
resettlement program and the measures the Government has taken to
upgrade the living standard of the IDPs”.
“The resettlement program is not limited to mere resettlement of IDPs
alone. The Government has taken action to upgrade their living standards
by providing them with livelihoods.
Under this micro credit scheme, self-employment and vocational
training are also introduced,” the Minister noted.
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