|
|
|
Friday, November 20, 2009 - 10.15 GMT |
|
Total number of
IDPs; 136, 328 |
|
|
|
The
total
number
of IDPs
remaining
in the
welfare
centres
in
Vavuniya,
Jaffna,
Mannar,
Trincomalee
and the
hospitals
have
come
down to
136, 328
as of
today,
stated
Minister
Mahinda
Samarasinghe
at a
press
briefing
today
(20
Nov).
The
Minister
said
there
has been
an IDP
movement
of 6500
to 7000
within a
week as
the
total
number
of IDPs
a week
ago (as
of 13
Nov 09)
was
143161.
The
total
number
of IDPs
remaining
in
Vavuniya
alone is
down to
127, 495
which is
a drop
of over
5200
from
last
week.
The
government's
speedy
resettlement
process
was
commended
by
international
bodies
including
Sir John
Holmes,
United
Nations
Under
Secretary
General
for
Humanitarian
Affairs
and
Emergency
Relief
Coordinator.
Minister
Samarasinghe
said
that
Holmes
categorically
stated
his
appreciation
which
was the
first
time
that the
UN said
thus
using
those
words.
The
Minister
expressed
his
confidence
in
resettling
a bulk
of the
IDPs by
31
January,
2010.
Meanwhile,
on the
instructions
of
President
Mahinda
Rajapaksa,
Senior
Advisor
to the
President
and
Chief of
the
Presidential
Special
Task
Force on
Rehabilitation
and
Resettlement
of the
North,
Mr.
Basil
Rajapaksa,
MP will
be
visiting
resettled
areas to
meet
resettled
IDPs in
the
North
tomorrow
(21).
|
|
|
|
Contact Information:: Send
mail to