Vanni IDPs in Thenmaradchi camps to be settled in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 November 2009, 17:03 GMT]
2010 persons belonging to 624 families from the districts of Mullaiththeevu and Ki’linochchi in Vanni who still remain in the interim camps in Thenmaraachi are to be settled in Jaffna as no relatives or friends had come forward to take the responsibility of looking after them, Jaffna Government Agent (GA), K. Ganesh told media. The government, faced with limited relief resources to maintain the Vanni IDPs in Thenmaraadchi, is trying to get them off its hands, NGO representatives in Jaffna said.

A batch of Vanni IDPs from Mullaiththeevu and Ki’linochchi districts in Thenmaraadchi camps had been allowed by the government earlier to live with their relatives or friends in Jaffna who had willingly taken the responsibility of maintaining them.

The remaining 2010 IDPs are left without relatives or friends in Jaffna to take charge of them.

Anyone in Jaffna who can identify their relatives among the 2010 IDPs can take charge of them if they apply to Jaffna Secretariat, the GA said.

In the context of no one coming forward to look after them the IDPs will be settled in Jaffna and this action is expected to be completed in a week, Jaffna Secretariat sources said.