Resettlement with dignity

The right to be resettled at their native places

Resettle displaced people either at their native places or alternative locations

Giving a hand to them to live in dignity

By Dhaneshi YATAWARA

[email protected]

By the time the total Eastern theatre was liberated by our valiant soldiers from the marauding Tigers, a total of more than 160,000 people were under the safe wings of the Government and the Security Forces - staying in the welfare camps hoping to return to their homes and lands. Some were staying with friends and relatives until the situation turned normal. The total was almost 200,000. The humanitarian operation was launched on 26 July, 2006 with the freeing of Mavil Aru anicut and succeeded in liberating the total Eastern theatre by capturing the ‘Baron’s cap’ summit (Thoppigala) by July 2007.

At the moment after the total liberation of East only 6858 people from Batticaloa and 9185 people from Trincomalee have to be resettled, the latest statistics available with the Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services reveal. According to information furnished by the respective District Secretaries, the total figure 6858 consist of 2703 people from Chenkalady in Eravurpattu and 4155 people from Koralaipattu North (Vakarai) Batticaloa and 9185 people from Muttur DS division of Trincomalee, Ministry information further reveals.

The Challenge

Catering to the day-to-day needs of over 160,000 people, victims of LTTE terrorism, which includes adults as well as children - school children to toddlers, infants and newly born, is a challenge that cannot be explained in simple terms. Nutrition, water, healthcare, sanitation-all come in line with equal priority.

“Some people have escaped only with a few very basic belongings. The Government had to provide the basics like clothing and Kitchen utensils, with the support of line ministries, INGOs and many well-wishers,” Batticaloa District Secretary (GA), Rupawathi Kediswaran added. “Many people came from the Vakarai area while there were some from Sampoor and Muttur areas of the Trincomalee district,” she explained.

People living in a welfare centre in Puttlam

People escaping from LTTE during the East liberation

Initially these people were sheltered in Schools but as the schools needed to start functioning alternative places had to be found. “All the relevant Government authorities joined together and are still involved in our efforts to look after these people,” GA Kediswaran said.

The Office of the Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services conducted medical clinics in addition to the medical camps conducted by the Army. The Provincial Council took care of the sanitary facilities of these camps. The Ceylon Electricity Board assisted in providing electricity to the camps.The Water Supply and Drainage Board took the responsibility of providing drinking water to these people in addition to the support extended by some INGOs in providing drinking water. Once in every two weeks dry rations are provided to these people, which include rice, flour, oil, dhal, sugar and non-food items like soap and other essential items. According to official statistics in the Batticaloa district 95% of the de-mining is complete. Hence, the resettlement can progress, meeting its scheduled targets. In the Mannar district demining programs are initiated by the Government in collaboration with the Security Forces, specially in the earlier liberated Silavathura area.

It is the President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s decision to reawaken the East as a land of harmony where peace and prosperity are strongly bonded together. It was under his command our Security Forces marched forward to liberate the East and continue to do so in the North. Already 116,050 women, children and men from the Batticaloa district and 70,353 from Trincomalee district are resettled, Ministry statistics and data state.The challenge is never going to be less but in fact tougher with the liberation of the Northern Province becoming a reality.

New IDPs

People who were displaced after 2006 are categorized as new Internally Displaced People.

According to the statistics available up to 16 October, a total of 2791 people are staying within the district of Ampara and another 1024 people outside the district - all of them are staying with friends and relatives.Not a single welfare camp exists in the Ampara district. In Mannar district two welfare camps are functioning in Mannar and Nanattan DS divisions comprising 516 people and outside the district 745 people are living in welfare camps. And 7499 people are living with friends and relatives within Mannar as well as out side districts. In addition, another 2068 economically affected families are benefitted by the Government through the Ministry of Resettlement.

According to the latest available data, a total number of 76,113 people are living in welfare camps as well as with families and friends in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mulaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya districts who are totally taken care of, by the Government. Though the LTTE is forcibly holding most of these displaced people in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts, the Government on its part still provides the necessary food and non-food relief items to them. The GA’s convoys as well as WFP containers carry these items continuously to those trapped in these two districts. In Puttalam 16150 are living as displaced people, mainly the Muslim community whom the LTTE forcefully evicted from Jaffna during its brutal ethnic cleansing attempt in 1990. Other displaced people are living in small numbers in many parts of the country, specially in areas like Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa under the care and protection of the Ministry of Resettlement.

Stocks till Year end

The Ministry of Resettlement based on GAs estimates provides rice, flour, sugar and dhal to all these displaced people. “We have already supplied the total food requirements sufficient till end of this year through respective District Secretaries,” Secretary to Ministry of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, A. C. M. Razik said. “The resettlement plans for the recently liberated areas are ready. We are waiting for the clearance certificates from the Security Forces,” Razik said. “We are planning to resettle people in those areas after establishing all the infrastructure facilities. This includes repairing wells for drinking water and setting up water supply schemes, reconstruction of roads and other infrastructure facilities including Government institutions,” he further explained.

Objective

Displaced people are living in welfare centres mainly due to the unsettled conditions existing in the Northern and Eastern parts of the country. The Ministry of Resettlement regularly maintains these welfare centres and looks after the refugees with much care.Basic methodology of resettlement is to relocate displaced people either at their native places or other alternative places on their consent. However, it has become difficult to implement resettlement process as an accelerated program until the landmines are removed from the security zones and other places when the war situation has eased. Therefore, at present displaced people are continuously resettled at alternative places opted by them. However, the right to be resettled at their native place and also the possession of their properties is always with these displaced people.Giving land to them to live in dignity has become the main task of the resettlement process. Before implementing the resettlement program the economic, social and infrastructural facilities should be provided. Accordingly, in the first phase restoring roads, hospitals, schools and office buildings, electricity, market facilities and water supply are necessary. In the second, the construction and repairs to other buildings and houses are to be carried out.

When resettling people either at their native place or at alternative places steps are taken to provide economic and social facilities and to carry out this process protecting their rights according to the internal standards. Necessary action is taken jointly with the UNHCR, the UNICEF and the Human Rights Commission.

It is the responsibility of all citizens of the country to avoid discrimination between displaced people and the host societies treating the displaced people as a part of the society. In resettlement process action is taken to avoid such discrimination.

*****************

Domestic Funded Projects

* Water & Sanitation

Financial provision has been made for water supply, provision of toilets and drainage facilities in 7 districts totalling Rs. 16.02 million. These projects were implemented by the respective District Secretaries and in Puttalam by the Commissioner General of the Secretariat for Northern Displaced Muslims.

Rehabilitation of Access Roads to IDP villages Financial provision has been made for rehabilitation of access roads to the IDP villages in six districts at an amount of Rs. 74.93 million. These projects were implemented by the respective District Authorities.

* Power & Energy

Electricity supply to the resettled villages was an important need for the returnees could restart their new life and also use power and energy to engage in new industrial and socio economic development. This Ministry has prioritized 6 districts and allocated Rs. 9.82 million.

* Education

Education of the children of the displaced families was also one of the sectors that has been affected during the last 2 decades. Most of the school infrastructure facilities were destroyed and as such needed buildings and equipment afresh. The Ministry has allocated Rs. 67.44 million for education sector in 9 districts. The Ministry has constructed 5 new schools at Karambe-B, Manalkundu, Thambapanni, Kandalkuda and Umarapath in Puttalam district.

* Livelihood

The resettled IDPs who were engaged in fishing as their occupation had lost all the fishing equipment they possessed. Therefore, this Ministry identified some of the affected fishermen and supplied them with fishing nets and lagoon canoes.The fishermen, who were affected during the Pesalai- Mannar conflict this year were also partially compensated in re-equiping them with fishing nets and necessary equipment. Rs. 4.75 million was allocated for 2 Districts.

Fishermen in Mannar and Vavuniya districts were supplied with fishing nets and equipment worth over Rs. 2 million under the Mahinda Chinthana programme.

The livelihood project for IDPs included Vocational Training Centre for women in sewing and vocational Training for male in driving, training programme in Information Technology to the educated unemployed IDP youths and Revolving Loan Fund for Micro Credit. A total amount of Rs.46.11 million has been allocated for 13 districts.

In 50 sewing training centres 1000 unemployed young girls were trained.

Those who completed sewing training program were supplied with sewing machines enabling them to commence self employment on their own.