Over 373,000 IDPs resettled in North

Friday, 20 May 2011 00:24 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Between 1 April and 13 May 2011, 1,139 persons (366 families) left the Menik Farm and Kodikamam Ramavil camps for their areas of origin in Maritimepattu and Oddusuddan in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi (Pachchilaipallai and Karachchi) Districts, increasing the total population that returned to the Northern Province to 373,593 persons (114,561 families).

The overall population returned to their places of origin includes both recent IDPs (post-2008) and the long-term displaced (pre-2008). The resettlement of Menik Farm IDPs of Kilinochchi origin is complete, and the vast majority of the remaining 16,401 persons (4,981 families) hail from Mullaitivu District, the latest OCHA update said.

Apart from areas with ongoing mine clearance operations in this district, there are several Grama Niladhari Divisions (GNDs) still to be released for mine action interventions to pave the way for IDP returns. Close to 4,700 Menik Farm residents originate from the Ananthapuram, Malligaithivu, Manthuvil, Sivanagar, as well as Puthukudiyiruppu East and West GNDs in Pachchilaipallai Divisional Secretariat Division (DSD).

In Jaffna District, the government on 9 May, 2011 released several GNDs from the Thellipalai High Security Zone, including Kollankaladdy, Naguleswaram, Thellipalai, Thanthaiselvapuram, Maviddapuram and Maviddapuram South, Palai Veemankamam North/South and Varuthalaivilan.