U.S. Government provides additional assistance for Sri Lankans returning in the North

The U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Patricia A. Butenis, officially presented Rs 343 million ($3 million) from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This funding will facilitate the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their homes in Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, MullaItivu, Kilinochchi and Trincomalee districts.

USAID/Sri Lanka, the development agency of the U.S. Embassy, supports the Government of Sri Lanka’s commitment to return IDPs to their homes as quickly and safely as possible. USAID funding will provide shelter kits to build temporary housing for 17,000 people; water and sanitation facilities to reduce disease and provide clean water for 35,000 people; transport from camps to people’s homes for 25,000 people; and emergency health services across the Vanni region. In total, more than 77,000 people will directly benefit from this support and thousands will receive improved medical care throughout the region.

U.S. Ambassador Patricia A. Butenis said, “The U.S. Government is pleased to support efforts to return people displaced by the conflict to their homes as soon as possible. This funding will address the needs of vulnerable families, such as female-headed households, the elderly and the disabled, to ensure that assistance is provided quickly to those in most urgent need of care. By improving access to shelter, clean water and health care, USAID is providing some of the critical services people need to begin to rebuild their lives.”

In 2008 and 2009, the U.S. Government provided nearly Rs 11.2 billion ($98 million) in humanitarian assistance to Sri Lanka, including more than Rs 6.3 billion ($55 million) in emergency food aid and Rs 915 million ($8 million) for demining.

"This support from USAID will help us meet the basic needs of thousands of displaced families when they return to their home districts. It will provide shelter, water, sanitation and basic health services - all the things they will need to restart their lives," said IOM Sri Lanka Chief of Mission Mohammed Abdiker.

- Asian Tribune -