‘Resettled families doing well’:

Vavuniya GA refutes Tamil media reports

by P. Krishnaswamy

Vavuniya GA P.S.M. Charles has strongly refuted reports in some sections of the Tamil media alleging that the health of a large number of families who have been resettled in the Wanni is in a precarious condition and are facing the threat of death, after the Government’s relief assistance was discontinued.

She told the Sunday Observer that this report is totally incorrect and misleading because no such situation was brought to her notice nor have any complaints been received either in her office or in any of the Divisional Secretariats in the district.

The news report, in question, said that “relief assistance has been discontinued in respect of a large number of families who have been resettled in the Wanni and as a result, those among them who are living below the poverty line are facing the threat of death due to malnutrition”.

The GA said that a large majority of the resettled families continue to receive relief assistance which is being extended to nine months instead of the originally specified six months.

The families are also engaged in agriculture and other traditional professions, she said.

The Yala paddy cultivation was a hundred percent success in the region and they are now getting ready for the Maha season, she said.

She said that if there are families who do not have working members or only disabled members and need special assistance to eke out a living, they should apply to the District Secretariat, through the Divisional Secretary’s offices so that their requests can be considered.

WFP Project Director R.H.W.A. Kumarasiri of the Ministry of Economic Development who also denied the reports said that 112,405 persons received relief assistance this month and this number almost corresponds to the figure in last April. Therefore, the allegations that relief assistance to a large number of families has been discontinued is unfounded, he said.

He said that WFP relief assistance has been extended for another nine months or even beyond that in the case of deserving families. Dry rations under the ‘Work for Food’ program of the WFP are provided after the nine-month relief assistance, he said.