Apostolic Nuncio visits refugee camps

Ref. Fr. Damian Fernando, National Director of Caritas Sri Lanka - SEDEC together with the Catholic Bishop of Batticaloa - Trincomalee, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Kingsley Swampillai Diocesan Director of Caritas EHED - Batticaloa Rev. Fr. Sri and staff from the relief and rehabilitation Unit of the National centre accompanied the Apostolic Nuncio Rev. Dr. Mario Zenari.

This visit was a day after Pope Benedict the XVI met President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The Nuncio visited several refugee camps, met many displaced people, military officials, local government officials, representatives of NGOs and UN agencies and inter-religious leaders. He also visited churches in Vakarai, Marnkerny and Valachchenai, and also met the Bishop and other priests and religious of the diocese.

The Relief and Rehabilitation Programme of Caritas Sri Lanka currently supports more than 11,920 displaced families (43,231 individuals) in Jaffna 1,396 families in Trincomalee and 16,821 families in Batticaloa.

Short term measures such as food and non food items together with medicines, water and sanitation and temporary shelters are provided for those displaced. Among the long term measures we also provide nutritional programmes for school children, educational assistance, health and mobile clinics, permanent shelters livelihood support and provide rehabilitation for the displaced.

The Nuncio saw efforts of the military officials, particularly regarding livelihood, services such as education and health services, shelter and adequate food supply.

Military officials as well as Church leaders said that some of the restrictions imposed on Vakarai before, such as fishing, transport of fertilizer have eased.

Facilities that had not been provided to the people of Vakarai, such as electricity and additional public buses have also been now provided.