Welfare measures for IDPs

Irangika RANGE

Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP as the Task Force for Rehabilitation and Resettlement Chairman will make an official announcement today on rights and privileges of Internally Displaced People housed at relief centers and villages in the North.

Addressing a media-briefing in Colombo yesterday, Minister Samarasinghe said MP Rajapaksa who visited relief centres in the North will make this special announcement.

"It will be a significant announcement on measures taken for the IDPs' welfare and well-being which will be definitely commended by local and foreign communities," the Minister said.

Minister Samarasinghe said local and foreign communities will come up with positive comments after the official statement which will include a number of important decisions to ensure IDPs' rights and privileges.

United Nations Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes had praised the Government for resettling a large number of IDPs in their native places. He made this comment after visiting the Menik Farm relief village in Vavuniya.

The Minister said several Ambassadors and High Commissioners who met him last week, had praised the facilities provided to IDPs by the Government.

The Government has accelerated the de-mining process and the rehabilitation of infrastructure and other public services like schools in the North to expedite the resettlement process.

"Our intention is to resettle the displaced persons and restore their livelihood swiftly in their domiciled villages while implementing a massive development drive in the North," he said.

Minister Samarasinghe said a majority of IDPs housed at welfare centers in the North will be resettled by December 31.

Under the Government's resettlement program of internally displaced civilians in the North, only 136,328 persons are temporarily housed in welfare centers in Vavuniya, Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee. "We have been able to resettle 7,000 IDPs in their original places within last week," he said.

The Minister said only 127,495 persons in Vavuniya, 2,034 persons in Jaffna, 970 persons in Mannar and 2,762 persons in Trincomalee in addition to 3,067 patients in seven hospitals in the North are accommodated in relief centers or receiving medical treatment.

"We will complete 50 percent of resettlement within the next few days," he said.