UN official commends Sri Lanka’s resettlement program in North and East

Sri Lanka has achieved excellent results in its Northern and Eastern rehabilitation and resettlement program and post-conflict economic development drive, a top United Nations official has said.

John Ging, the Director of the Coordination and Response Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa

John Ging, the Director of the Coordination and Response Division of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) who was in Sri Lanka on a three-day official visit has expressed these views when he met the Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa on Tuesday.

The UN official has noted that other countries with similar problems can learn a lot from Sri Lanka on these issues.

“I have travelled to many countries with similar problems. But I can say Sri Lanka’s progress after the end of the conflict is tremendous,” Ging has said.

“Sri Lanka should share its experience with other countries,” he has added.

Minister Rajapaksa has apprised the UN official of the progress of the resettlement of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and the development of the former conflict areas.

The Minister has said that Sri Lanka had been able to complete most of the rehabilitation and reconstruction projects successfully because of the help given by the international community, including UN agencies and INGOS as well as the local institutions and people.

Minister Rajapaksa has explained to the official that Sri Lanka successfully resettled the people displaced during the last phase of the war but now the problem is with the people displaced during the earlier periods of the conflict as they have not been given the facilities as for the new IDPS.

“Now, Sri Lanka has to solve this problem and the assistance of the international agencies would be needed,” the Minister has stressed.

The UN official has assured that the OCHA will provide assistance to resettle old and new alike.

Ging has noted that Sri Lanka’s progress after the end of the conflict is tremendous as the Northern and Eastern Provinces are enjoying normalcy and people are benefiting from the peace.

He has further remarked that Sri Lanka’s economy is growing and tourism is booming and the country has achieved all the progress within a short time.

“Now, the most important task is to rebuild the confidence among the international community about the country. OCHA will help Sri Lanka to achieve this end,” Ging has said.