UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and his entourage who flew to the Settikulam Menik Farm Relief Village in Vavuniya Saturday (23) morning saw for themselves the extensive relief, resettlement and rehabilitation programme in progress and also had an aerial view on areas affected by LTTE terrorism towards the end of the war.
Competent Authority for Northern Province and Chief of Staff of the Sri Lanka Army Major General G.A. Chandrasiri after receipt of the UN delegation in the Menik Farm Relief Village presented a comprehensive account of the most recent Rescue Mission, conducted by Security Forces during the final stage of the war against terrorism and various welfare measures now in effect in the welfare centers and Relief Villages.
Major General Chandrasiri told the UN chief that 283,000 civilians of 82,000 families are being provided food and shelter, health, and all basic facilities including education for their children across those IDP centers scattered in Jaffna, Mannar, Pulmoddai and Vavuniya areas.
Major General Chandrasiri also informed the visiting delegates that over 200,000 displaced civilians in Ananda Cumaraswamy and Ponnambalam Arunachalam IDP centres at Cheddikulam and Sector-2 and Sector-4 IDP centres elsewhere are being provided with necessary facilities under the supervision and coordination of the government ministries including Ministry of Relief, Resettlement and Rehabilitation. He also reminded that infrastructure, meant to improve general condition of those centers is all the time progressing with the assistance of all the parties.
District Secretary for Vavuniya Ms. P.S.M Charles in the meantime, briefed the UN delegation on registration procedures of the displaced people and administrative network in place for provision of, basic facilities such as health, education and dry rations for those IDPs. Dr. H.A.P. Kahandaliyanage, Secretary to Ministry of Health afterwards explained how Medical Officers, nurses and medical staff have been deployed in the IDP centers for different health services.
Mr. Ban Ki Moon, the first world leader to visit Sri Lanka after the end of the War for Separation, who personally witnessed the ground realities after meeting a cross section of the displaced civilians expressed his satisfaction about the arrangements in place and assured continued UN assistance to the government for its effort to resettle IDPs in their original places of residence.
Foreign Minister Mr. Rohitha Bogollagama, Minister in attendance for the UN envoy underlined the 180-day accelerated programme that has been launched by the Government of Sri Lanka for speedy resettlement of those displaced men and women.
The UN delegation aboard helicopters saw for themselves the last patch of the battle affected zone and the LTTE-destroyed FARAH-3 ship during his flight. The delegation also met officials of the World Food Programme (WFP), several Medical Officers and inquired into general developments in areas of responsibility.
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