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Wednesday, October 13, 2010 - 06.13 GMT |
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IDPs now down to 19,979 |
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The total number of IDPs in Vavuniya relief villages has dropped to 18, 821 as of yesterday (Oct. 12), due to the Government’s speedy resettlement programme.
As of September 06, the figure was 23,352.
According to the Resettlement Ministry only 4,242 IDPs remain in Kadirakamar relief center while 6136 IDPs remain in Anandakumaraswami Zone 1. Three batches of IDPs; 3020, 2694 and 2729 are remaining in Ramanadan, Arunachalam and Zone 4 respectively in Menik Farm relief village. Out of these 6,113 IDPs are on free movement outside camps.
In addition, there are only 1, 158 IDPs remaining in Jaffna which brings the total number of IDPs in the North to 19,979.
There have been several comments from international observers commending the speed with which the resettlement of IDPs has taken place since the end of the conflict in May 2009.
Apart from the Sri Lankan refugees in India, many Sri Lankan refugees in countries such as Malaysia and Hong Kong have conveyed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) that they are seriously thinking about coming home, UNHCR Deputy Representative in Sri Lanka Jennifer Fagonis said in a recent interview.
Over 1,000 refugees approached UNHCR offices in Sri Lanka to report that they had returned on their own accord, UNHCR added.
Former Canadian Ambassador to Asia and the Middle East and a spokesman for the Centre for Immigration Policy Reform, Martin Collacott said in a recent article to Ottawa Citizen that the situation in Sri Lanka could not have been as dire for Tamils as asylum seekers allege since large numbers of them have gone back to visit their relatives after filing their claims in Canada.
Following is an illustration of the remaining IDPs from August 2009 to October 13, 2010:
IDPs in relief centers
(August 2009 to October 13, 2010)
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IDPs in relief villages in Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee & Jaffna
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August 2009
2, 42, 318 |
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December 2009
1, 11, 270 |
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May 2010
62, 627 |
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September 2010
23, 352 |
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October 13. 2010
19, 979 |
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Each figure represents 10,000 IDPs
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