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Top level government delegation including Northern Rehabilitation Minister Sarath Amunugama, Deputy Foreign Minister Lakshman Kiriella, Defence Secretary Chandrananda de Silva, Essential Services Commissioner Sarath Munasinghe, headed by the Lakshman Kadirgarmar met heads of diplomatic missions, UN agencies and the ICRC and briefed them on measures taken to ensure the civilian welfare in the Jaffna peninsula. Mr. Kadirgarmar stressed, information regarding the civilians must be must be traced in the perspective of the current military situation in the peninsula, where the Army had been able to stop the LTTE onslaught. Minister Sarath Amunugama stated, "government has been supplying basic requirements for the civilians and to the people of Jaffna, even when the peninsula was under LTTE control". Mr. Amunugama highlighted the government's commitment to provide welfare to the civilians in the North and the East. The government recently entered into an Agreement with the World Bank for a US$ 32 million project to re-establish irrigation and agricultural systems along with a Memorandum of Understanding, involving the Asian Development Bank and the German Agency, GTZ, for rehabilitation in the North and East. Commissioner General Munasinghe stated that there was adequate supply of essential foods for three months within the peninsula and further remarked that it is only 72 hour sailing time away to provide more stocks to the peninsula. Roads and transport services for passengers within the peninsula were satisfactory. On May 23, 2320 families and 8352 people had registered in the government welfare centres. These people were supplied with basic requirements. Jaffna Teaching Hospital was facing shortages of medical supplies and doctors as doctors from outside the peninsula had moved out due to security reasons. Schools functioned normally. Although some transmission lines and poles were destroyed by LTTE, uninterrupted power supply continued within the peninsula. Major General Munasinghe stated that more than 4000 persons had been stranded in Trincomalee due to LTTE's refusal to guarantee safe passage for passenger vessels " City of Trinco" that had been specially charted by the Government. The Diplomats and the agencies were appreciative of the attitude of the Government towards the civilians.
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