The refugee crisis is still a burden faced by many countries with conflicts around the world. Economic activity and development takes a backseat due to the direct and indirect problems that come up due to refugee situations. Worldwide, the UNHCR recorded a 56% drop in refugee resettlement in 2001.

The issues caused by wars in several countries still remain. The problem of persons internally displaced by wars can be considered as the major problem among them.

According to the UNHCR, large-scale returns have not taken place in Iraq although more IDPs and refugees are returning to their areas of origin. Some 300,000 IDPs and nearly 80,000 refugees returned spontaneously in 2008 and 2009. At the same time, the majority of some 1.5 million IDPs have not found solutions to their plight. There are also occasional reports of new displacements. Within Iraq there are some 40,000 refugees, including some 16,000 of Turkish origin. Most of the over 10,000 Palestinians in Iraq are found in Baghdad, while around 1,400 live in the Al Waleed camp close to the border with the Syrian Arab Republic.

The UNHCR remains concerned about a protracted refugee situation spanning more than 40 years in Sudan, aggravated by the continuing flow of new arrivals from Eritrea.
In Darfur, some 2.6 million people are internally displaced, while another 250,000 have sought refuge in Chad.

Prospects for return are affected by fighting between state and non-state factions, and political complications. Changing land-use patterns add pressure on, and competition for, land and renewable resources. Moreover, the consequences of sporadic fighting in Chad often spill over into Darfur. Limited access to the region due to extremely insecure conditions has also affected operations, with civilians, including humanitarian workers, exposed to violence by various militias.

Khartoum is host to some 30,000 urban refugees and asylum-seekers, mainly from Eritrea and Ethiopia. Khartoum State also has some 1.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs), about 400,000 of whom reside in four sites recognized by the authorities, while the rest live in informal squatter areas in and around the city.
Above facts show us the different capabilities of countries in clearing war affected lands and resettling IDPs after a war.

In contrast, Sri Lanka succeeded in resettling 225, 000 people out of 242, 318 IDPs who arrived to the government’s relief villages during the final battle between the armed forces and LTTE terrorists, in just over one year. Indeed, it is significant that the government could resettle them so soon in their places of origin.

Nearly 300, 000 IDPs arrived in government controlled areas by May 2009 and the number reduced to 242, 318 by August the same year due to the government’s programme to help them join with their relatives living in different parts of the country.

The rest of IDPs who were sheltered in relief villages in Menik Farm in Vavuniya and in Jaffna were resettled, especially in the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar and Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara. The total number of IDPs in these relief villages dramatically dropped from month to month due to the Government’s speedy resettlement programme.

The following illustration shows how the number of the IDPs remaining in relief villages dropped from August 2009 to November 22, 2010:
 

IDPs in relief centers
(August 2009 to November 22, 2010)
 

As at	IDPs in relief villages in Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee & Jaffna
August 2009 2, 42, 318
December 2009 1, 11, 270
May 2010 62, 627
September 2010 23, 352
October 19. 2010 18, 799
November 01. 2010 18, 380
November 22. 2010 17, 689

Each figure represents 10,000 IDPs

 Each figure represents 1000 IDPs

Secretary to the Ministry of Resettlement, Mr. M. B. Dissanayake said a majority of the remaining IDPs are originally from Mullaitivu and Pudukudirippu DS Divisions and their resettlement has been delayed due to landmines in those areas. The Secretary said that they will be resettled within 72 hours once de-mining has been completed. He added that this will be completed within two to three months, thus completing the resettlement process.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), since January 2009, 396 sq km have been cleared of mines in the North, while an estimated 552 sq km in all five northern districts are still littered with mines.

The Mine Action Group (MAG) is de-mining in the three districts of Mannar, Vavuniya and Mullaitivu, part of the former war-zone, reported IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Philippa Copland, community liaison officer for MAG, said effective de-mining programmes had helped to keep the number of injuries low.

"It is a very effective de-mining programme that is in place," Copland said. "Before returns take place, the areas are surveyed and de-mined. No returns will take place unless the de-mining units have given the all-clear."

The people who have been resettled are provided with necessary facilities to help them to return to the normalcy. Accordingly, facilities for housing, health, education and other needs are provided to them under special programmes of the government.

Under the programme to provide houses, approximately 15, 500 houses in Thunukkai, Manthai, Oddusudan and Pudukudirippu DS divisions are being constructed and renovated. Tin sheets, Agriculture tools, Cement, Timber, Tarpaulin & Shelter kits and a support payment of Rs. 25, 000 also are given to the IDPs being resettled.
Water Bowsers, Water tanks, Water Pumps, Mammoties, Motor cycles, push bicycles, three wheelers and four wheel tractors are provided to the resettled people according to the needs. Also, boats & fishing nets are given to fishermen to help them with their livelihoods.

The government carries out a project to boost education in Northern Province with the assistance of the UNICEF and other Non Governmental Organizations. Twenty one schools in Mullativu and Fifty three schools in Thunukkai are operating to develop education in the province. It is significant that 1148 children from among resettled IDPs sat the Year Five Scholarship Examination in 2010 while 7113 students sat the GCE AL examination in the same year from the affected areas.

In addition, the Provincial Educational Ministry has allocated Rs. 1Mn for the construction of pre-schools at Yokapuram Mahavidyalayam and work has been completed while 78 Pre-schools are functioning at Thunukkai Zone and Mullaitivu.

Four healthcare centers are operating in Oddusudan, Thunukkai, Marithimeipaththu and Manthai to supply medical and healthcare facilities to the people.

Coorperative shops have been established for resettled IDPs to buy consumer goods to a low price.

To bring reconciliation to a country and return lives to normalcy after war is similar to the hard task of winning another war. It is easy to see the difficulty of this task when many countries are failing in it.

However, in Sri Lanka we are now enjoying the victory of a second humanitarian war in our motherland. Because, having defeated terrorism and uniting the country, the President is directing all efforts to win the hearts and minds of the people most affected by the long conflict.





 

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