More than 2,000 apply to take in IDP relatives

Vavuniya and Jaffna District Secretariats have received more than 2,000 applications from the relatives of the IDPs, after the Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Ministry informed the general public that the relatives of the IDPs can apply for the release of those residing in camps.

“Many people have been handing forms over to us since September 10 and so far we have received approximately 1,000 applications,” said Vavuniya District Additional Government Agent T. Sampanthan. “These applications are readily available outside the District Secretariat office and in shops. Also, relatives can prepare them even at home,” he added.

Sampanthan said that they will hand over the applications to the security forces, with their observations and recommendations as soon as possible. He could not give a timeline as to when these IDPs can be reunited with their relatives, since a thorough background check has to be carried out first. “After we look at the applications, we do background research and hand over the applications to the Security Forces Headquarters, Vavuniya with our remarks and the security establishment will take the final decision,” he said. Meanwhile, an official of the Jaffna District Secretariat told The Nation that they have also received around 1,000 applications: “There is a lot of enthusiasm about this,” he said. Read more ...

Contentious resettlement issue in the Jaffna HSZ being resolved

One of the most contentious issues in Jaffna, the resettling of civilians in the High Security Zone is finally going to be resolved with civilians now expected to be resettled in the 300 metre buffer zone bordering the HSZ before December as a first step.

Jaffna High Court Judge R.T. Vignarajah who chairs the Committee appointed by the Supreme Court to evaluate the problem and submit a report to court said last night that at their last meeting held the previous weekend, Jaffna GA informed the Committee that all mines had been cleared from the buffer zone and it was now a matter of submitting a list of people who are eligible to resettle there and for the army to check the veracity of the list.

Jaffna Military Commander Maj. Gen. L.B.R. Mark, who is a member of the Committee, according to the High Court Judge, had even remarked that it should be done before December so that resettled people will have time to enter their children to schools in the area for the new school year. Read more ...

Rise of ruins from ravages of war

They are remains of dilapidated edifices with bullet-riddled walls, overgrown with trees, abandoned and neglected- some centuries old. Many are the monuments and sites of archaeological importance in Jaffna that still stand, though battered and broken, mute testimony to the impact of the country’s three decades-long bitter war.

However, as a new chapter in the history of Sri Lanka begins with the dawn of peace, efforts are being made to return the war-torn areas to normalcy and it is in this back- drop that archaeological and historical sites in the north have been identified to undergo a face lift.

Officer in charge -Immediate and Special Explorations—Exploration and Documentation Division of the Department of Archaeology, T. M.C. Bandara said after the conclusion of the war, Archaeological Department teams visited the North on two occasions, mainly to identify the historically important sites before the launch of development activities under the Uthuru Wasanthaya programme. He also said that these sites will play a vital role as tourist attractions after these areas have been developed. Read more ...

Lanka launches cultivation programme in Jaffna peninsula

Over 1100 acres of land abandoned in strife-torn Jaffna peninsula will be developed by the Sri Lankan government under a cultivation programme by giving huge subsidies to the farmers.


"Marking another historic achievement in the Northern Development drive the government yesterday inaugurated a massive cultivation project in the Jaffna peninsula with cultivation of 1124 acres of Paddy land," an official statement said today.

This project falls under the Government's 'Uthuru Wasanthaya' (Vadakkin Vasantham) development programme is an initiative of the Presidential Task Force chaired by senior presidential advisor and parliamentarian Basil Rajapaksa. Read more ...

Over 59,000 families resettled in past months

Re-settlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishad Bathiudeen told Parliament yesterday the Government has re-settled 59,608 displaced families in Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Mannar, Ampara and Jaffna Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions during the past few months.

According to figures, 35, 766 families have been re-settled in Batticaloa DS division while 22,068 families have been re-settled in Trincomalee DS division. The Government has re-settled 669 families in Mannar, 51 families in Ampara and 1,054 families in Jaffna DS divisions.

The Minister said the number of persons displaced in 2009 is 288,938. Of these total number of displaced persons, 224,394 persons have been sheltered in six Relief Villages set-up in the Vavuniya district.

This includes 19,690 persons in the Kadiragamar Relief Village, 47,202 persons in Ananda Kumarswamy Relief Village (Zone 01), 65,210 persons in Pon Ramanadan Relief Village (Zone 02), 44, 496 persons in the Arunachalam Relief Village (Zone 03), 42,316 persons in Relief Village (Zone 04) and 5,480 persons in Relief Village (Zone 05). Read more ...

Jaffna IDP resettlement nearing completion

The resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons in some of the Peninsula villages is nearing completion. The area has been cleared of all mines prior to the resettlement. It was essential to get the clearance certificate from the UN before resettling the displaced people in the areas affected by mines, Social Services and Social Welfare Minister Douglas Devananda said.

He told The Island that as Chairman of Jaffna Special Task Force he had been assigned to resettle a large number of people in Navatkuli, Kaithady and Maravanpulo villages.

Minister Devananda said that his aim was to resettle the IDPs in their original places as quickly as possible. For the last 10 years all infrastructure facilities in the area had been destroyed due to a devastating war. Read more ...

Over 15,000 IDP families to be resettled

The Government yesterday said over 15,000 IDP families from the Jaffna district will be resettled in their original homes soon.

According to Resettlement and Relief Services Minister Rishad Badiudeen, the authorities have already identified over 15,000 displaced families who claim themselves to be the residents of Jaffna and their details have been forwarded to the authorities in the Jaffna district.

These families are now living in welfare centres in the Vavuniya and Mannar districts.

"We have already sent the details of over 15,000 families to the Police , Jaffna Government Agent and respective Divisional Secretariats to ascertain whether they are permanent residents in the Jaffna district".

The Minister stressed that they would be resettled in their original homes in the Jaffna district after the Government officials gave an assurance that they are permanent residents of the Jaffna district.

“The Presidential Task Force on Northern Development under the chairmanship of Senior Presidential Advisor MP Basil Rajapaksa is working tirelessly to expedite the demining process to facilitate the resettlement drive and it is committed to resettled as much displaced civilians as possible within the time frame of 180 days, the Minister said. Read more ...

Jaffna-Colombo bus service via A-9 in operation

Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) has commenced a limited bus service between Jaffna and Colombo via the A-9, Jaffna-Kandy main highway, the Governor of the Northern Province, Major General G.A. Chandrasiri announced.

Commencing the service, four buses, carrying 175 passengers to Medawachchiya, left Jaffna yesterday (01.08.09). The SLTB has provided additional transportation to the passengers from Medawachchiya to Colombo. Another group of 200 passengers is to arrive in Colombo today. Read more ...

Visit by ministers to Jaffna bears fruit

Minister of Trade, Marketing Development, Co-operatives and Consumer Services, Bandula Gunawardene, has assured Jaffna consumers of the availability of consumer goods at fair prices with the setting up three Co-op City outlets by end of this month. The Minister stated during a ministerial delegation visit to Jaffna this week.

Speaking to The Nation Minister of Indigenous Medicine, Tissa Karalliadda explained that Minister Bandula Gunawardene had assessed consumer woes while Minister of Power and Energy Mahindananda Aluthgamage involved in finalising the timeframe for electrification of North and he was entrusted with the upliftment of indigenous medicine there.

“During a meeting with the Jaffna Chamber of Commerce, Jaffna Traders and Agrarian Associations organised by Minister Douglas Devananda, Minister Gunawardene promised Jaffna business leaders that he will set up three Co-op City outlets in Jaffna and to link them with the Narahenpitia Dedicated Economic Centre.” Minister Karalliadda said. Read more ...

A second life, says official

It is a fairy tale happy re-union for Thuraiyappah Sathayaseelan, an Assistant Director in the Sri Lanka Ministry of Education, from a camp in Vavuniya for the war displaced to his family and colleagues at Vadamarachi.

The case of Mr. Sathaseelan was reported in The Hindu dated May 28 (Senior Tamil officer in search of his family). The officer who would attain his retirement age of 60 on October 31 was working in the Zonal Education Office at Vadamarachi in Jaffna peninsula.

A cruel twist in his life on August 11, 2006 displaced him from his four-member family at Vadamarachi, left him with no choice but to be a captive of the LTTE at Kilinochchi till November and end up among the last batch of civilians to run away from the Tigers into the government-controlled territory. Read more ...

We continue to support operations in IDP camps in north- UN

Six weeks after the conclusion of the war in Sri Lanka, the UN continues to support the Government of Sri Lanka's operations in the camps in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Trincomalee, the office of the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Sri Lanka said in a statement.

These camps currently hold approximately 280,000 people, and although conditions have improved as the weeks go by much remains to be done. In the meanwhile, the UN will support the programmes of the Government helped by Sri Lankans from all over the world as well as the significant contributions made by dozens of NGO partners. Read more ...

Colombo-Jaffna bus service soon

Jaffna luxury bus service will be launched along the A9 road soon, Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma told parliament yesterday that .

The Minister made this point in response to a statement made by UNP MP Edward Gunasekera that 200 buses were to be leased by the Sri Lanka Central Transport Board to operate in Jaffna. Minister Alhaperuma said the decision to lease buses was taken in a bid to reduce the burden on the Treasury.

The Minister also said it would take at least one year for the Yaldevi train to resume normal operations.

He also told the House that the Central Bus stand in Jaffna would be developed as a model bus stand.

He said the Jaffna Bus stand was adjudged the third best Bus stand in the country at a competition conducted by the SLCTB recently. Read more ...

Yal Devi to run to Thandikulam on June 6

"After a lapse of 30 years recalling nostalgic memories for Tamils in the North, the Northern train Yal Devi will run beyond Vavuniya up to Thandikulam on June 6th . The railway track and the signal network has already been completed up to Thandikulam". This was stated by Minister of Transport, Dallas Alahapperuma today.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa speaking at the inauguration to restore the rail track to Jaffna stated recently:

"The Jaffna people should consider the sound of the Yal Devi as the sound of the Cuckoo bird that precedes the arrival of the Northern Spring. It was on April 23, 1956 that the Yal Devi was introduced on the Northern Railway Line.

How many songs and poems were composed about the Yal Devi since the termination of its run? Why could not our artistes fail to avoid Yal Devi when composing poems and songs on Sinhala – Thamil friendship? I remember our Governor of the North Central Province also lamenting about the Yal Devi in one of his popular songs.
It was the intention of the terrorists to break up the friendly relations among our communities by attacking the Yal Devi.

They knew that our friendship would remain strong as long as the Yal Devi ran. During this time there was good friendship among our people in the northern and southern ends of the country. Read more ...

Sri Lanka: Building a bright future in Batticaloa

Proud homeowners stand outside their brightly colored houses in Thetativu, Batticaloa District. The rows of bright blue, orange, green and pink houses stand out in sharp contrast to the stark, almost barren landscape, yet they mark a return to normalcy for families whose homes, livelihoods and financial capital were destroyed in the tsunami.

Economic development has accompanied the construction of the community. In some of the homes rooms have been converted into grocery shops, while one resident has set up a bicycle repair business in his front yard. Most families have started home-gardens for growing vegetables.

The 86 houses built in Thetativu have been constructed under the "Community Recovery and Reconstruction Partnership" - the owner-driven housing programme initiated by the Red Cross Red Crescent over three years ago to help families rebuild after the tsunami.

The Red Cross Red Crescent has pledged 28.8 million Swiss francs to the community recovery and reconstruction partnership. To date, 4,000 houses in Kalutara, Jaffna, Ampara and south Batticaloa have been completed, while 1,450 houses in Vaharai and Echilampattu in northern Batticaloa will be finished within the next month. Read more ...

ACT Appeal Sri Lanka: Assistance to conflict-displaced persons in Sri Lanka

On May 18th 2009 the Government of Sri Lanka declared total victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), with the entire island territory now back under government rule for the first time since the war erupted in 1983.

Around 265,000 people are now either in transit or are accommodated in 38 camps for the recently displaced, including an estimated 80,000 children. Between 20 April 2009 and 13 May, the number of persons displaced and registered in government camps or sites soared from 65,000 to 198,089 in the Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mannar districts (UN OCHA, May 13th). Aid agencies report being overwhelmed by the surge in IDP numbers and rapid humanitarian assistance is critical. Already included under the first version of this appeal issued on April 22nd is assistance now being implemented by Christian Aid and Norwegian Church Aid. Read more ...

WFP Providing Meals To Thousands Of Sri Lankans Fleeing Civil Conflict

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that it has started providing cooked meals at a government screening point to feed thousands of desperate people fleeing the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka.

"For many, this will be the first hot meal they have had in days or perhaps much longer," said Adnan Khan, WFP Representative in Sri Lanka, adding that a new wave of more than 3,000 people trapped by the conflict have arrived overnight at Omanthai. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) must pass through this government screening point before being transferred to temporary transit centres in Vavuniya and Jaffna. Read more ...

Total revival of NE fishing soon

Sri Lanka can soon expect a total revival of the North East fishing sector with the relaxation of security measures.

Around 4,000 fishermen in Jaffna harvest 53,000 metric tons of fish per year. However, due to security precautions in 2008 the volume came down to 14,000 metric tons of fish while in the East the 72,000 MT fish yield had dropped to 22,380 MT.

However, in 2008 with the dawn of peace, fish production in the Eastern province increased to 61,000 MT. With permanent peace only a few days away the Northern fishing sector too is expected to get into top gear. New technology such as radio links are to be introduced in addition to the value chain from cool rooms, ice plants and freezer trucks being supplied. "A total physical distribution system is getting into place and there are many opportunities for the private sector to set up a fish canning factory as well," said Director, Economic Affairs of the Government Peace Secretariat, Rohantha Athukorala. Due to the 26-year conflict the North and East districts remain as the most underdeveloped regions in Sri Lanka and the Government is rightly focusing on development and bringing down the regional disparity. Read more ...

Sri Lanka: WHO Situation Report, 07 May 2009

- 115,735 people have escaped from the LTTE controlled areas during 20th to 03rdMay.

- The government troops have intensified operations in the "No fire zone", with an estimated number of 15,000 -20,000 civilians still trapped

- Approximately 178,000 IDPs are in the government controlled areas in Vavuniya, and Trincomalee and 11,000 in Jaffna district. UN agencies INGOs and NGOs assist government to provide basic facilities like shelter, food, health care, psycho social services, and water supply and sanitation facilities.

- Majority of IDPs are located in Chettikulam area in 5 Zones. Read more and download report

Nuns assist war-displaced elderly people

The body of an elderly person is placed on a vehicle at the Missionaries of Charity-run center to be taken for cremation. However, no relatives are present to mourn as many have been separated from one other as a result of the civil war.

"Severe injuries, organ failure, severe trauma and emotional problems as a result of being displaced have resulted in a number of deaths, and are a real challenge for us," says Sister Liz Jose, Superior of Anpu Illam (Home of Love) in Vavuniya.

The city in Mannar diocese is 60 kilometers from the no-fire zone in the northern Jaffna peninsula, where a civil war is raging between government troops and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Read more ...

Sri Lanka: Vanni Emergency OCHA Situation Report No. 6

- The UN in Sri Lanka presented an Emergency Funding document to donors on 04 May 2009, which identified priorities for a total amount of US$ 50,133,226 in urgent requirements. This document forms part of the US$ 155 million Sri Lanka Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP).

- Today, the ERC, Mr. John Holmes, presented the same document in New York to member states of the Humanitarian Liaison Working Group (HLWG).

- Government authorities in Jaffna are reportedly allowing friends and relatives to visit IDPs in all camps. Read more and download document ...