UN envoy lauds Govt
Says IDP numbers in Menik Farm have halved:
Holmes impressed with Govt's commitment :
 |
|
Sir John
Holmes.
Picture by Ruwan de Silva |
United Nations Under Secretary General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Sir John Holmes
said he was extremely encouraged and impressed by the rapid resettlement
of the IDPs in progress.
Holmes made these statements at a joint press briefing
at the Foreign Ministry with Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.
Holmes was in Sri Lanka on a three-day tour on an
invitation by the Foreign Minister. He visited Jaffna, Vavuniya and
Menik Farm, while spending a night in Jaffna.
During his visit, he had also been briefed extensively
on the demining process.
In answer to a question whether the UN thinks that the
180-day timeframe set by the Government for resettlement could be kept,
Sir John Holmes replied that timeframes are not important but what is
important is the commitment of the Government which has impressed him.
He had held extensive discussions with President
Mahinda Rajapaksa, Justice and Law Reforms Minister Milinda Moragoda,
Disaster Management and Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe and
Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP on a wide range of issues
covering IDP resettlement, political and the de-mining process.
Stating that it was his fourth visit to Sri Lanka,
Holmes said he had been to IDP camps and spoke with the IDPs. He said
the UN had previously entertained concerns over the timing of the
resettlement.
However, this process had seen a rapid change over the
past three months, with the number of IDPs in Menik Farm having been
nearly halved from its initial figure of 285,000 to 135,000.
One of the chief concerns of the UN diplomat was the
fundamental issue of freedom of movement. He had discussed this
extensively in his meetings with the President and Ministers, and said
that he was greatly encouraged by the positive feedback received on the
return to normalization.
He specially credited the reopening of the A9 road as
playing an important step in this process.
Speaking on the progress and potential of development
in Sri Lanka, Holmes said he was concerned about the long term process
of reconstruction, rehabilitation and resettlement.
He stated that the UN hopes to work with the
Government to accelerate this process, providing donations of food,
healthcare services and education, as well as transport and
infrastructure development.
Courtesy : Daily News |
