Kilinochchi struggles with returnee influx
by IRIN
The northern Sri Lankan town of Kilinochchi – former capital of the defeated Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) – is struggling to address the needs of thousands of returnees.
Returnee Kumari Devarasa has just returned to her home in Kilinochchi
According to Sri Lankan military officials, more than 24,000 people or close to 30 percent of the town’s original population have returned since December – many of whom are living in tents.
Aid agencies pulled out of the town in September 2008 as the decades-long conflict intensified.
The Sri Lankan Army successfully captured the political headquarters of the LTTE in Kilinochchi in January 2009.
“This was an unparalleled victory," President Mahinda Rajapakse said at the time.
"Kilinochchi was the capital of a state dreamt of by a terrorist organization. It will no longer be available to them. We should pay the gratitude of the whole nation to those heroic soldiers who achieved that victory."
But 10 months since the government declared final victory over the LTTE in May 2009, Kilinochchi is grappling with an influx of returnees.
Before 2008, more than 90,000 people lived in the town, accessible through the strategic A-9 highway than runs between Kandy and Jaffna.
According to military officials from the Sri Lankan 57th Division, the town was completely evacuated during the Kilinochchi offensive, while much of the infrastructure - including schools, hospitals, water and electricity supplies - was badly damaged or destroyed, with nearly 80 percent of all homes affected.
“The Tigers destroyed the town when they were retreating,” a senior military official claimed.
Thousands of residents fled the city en masse in the conflict’s final days, only to find themselves in displaced people’s camps in the town of Vavuniya or elsewhere.
A family outside their home in Kilinochchi. Many residents use the tarpaulins provided to cover their homes
Repairing the damage
But since the government decision to allow residents to return to their places of origin, ensuring quality returns over quantity is also proving a major challenge.
“Lack of proper housing and water facilities is a major problem,” one local aid worker in Kilinochchi, who asked not to be identified, told IRIN.
Many homes were damaged, leaving occupants particularly vulnerable to the southwest monsoon rains, which begin in June and run to October.
“Our makeshift houses lack proper roofs,” Kumari Devarasa, a housewife who resettled last month, told IRIN. “The houses lack basic toilet, water and electricity facilities. It’s a very hard life.”
Residents say the government has provided assistance, including wood, to build and repair their homes, while others continue to live in tents provided by NGOs or have covered their shelters with tarpaulins.
Others still complain about access to health and education.
Livelihood concerns
“We don’t have proper jobs,” Nalini Jabesan. “We live from random amounts/stipends that the government gives us and doing odd jobs.”
David Sivasundaram, a shop owner who resettled last month, described life as “a daily struggle”.
“I don’t think the government has enough money to help us on a large scale,” he said, repairing the war damage to his shop. “Where can they find money?”
“I have many complaints, but right now I don’t want to say this is somebody’s fault. Whatever the situation is, we have to fight ourselves for a better life,” another returnee said.
Many returnees now live in tents
UN aid agencies are gearing up to assist the government in the resettlement process, including food, emergency education, shelter, health and access to safe drinking water.
According to the UN, more than 185,000 have returned to their homes or are staying with host families since the return process began, while some 93,000 continue to live in camps, the vast majority in and around the town of Vavuniya, northern province.
Pics: by Udara Soysa/IRIN
IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) is part of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, but its services are editorially independent. Its reports do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations and its agencies, nor its member states.
2 Comments
Where are the loud mouths of the Diaspora who were demanding the immediate release of the refugees?
Where is Sampathan and his cohorts who were threatening Rajapaksas with severe punishment through their Foreign backers if the refugees are not released from the camps?
As one of the resettled refugees said where can the government get the money? The government is doing its best to pay as much as it can afford.
The Diaspora should put its money where their mouths are. Sampathan should demand his Foreign mates to send money instead of asking the refugees to go on Hartal if he does not get his way at the Elections.
All we hear from the Diaspora is referanda to form Eelaam, , threats to undermine the economy, by holding world forums at high places,and to drag the President to war crime tribunals through Milli'and Moons band.
Nothing about the poor refugees who suffered courtesy of their proxy Pranakaran.It looks like the diaspora will only help when the refugees are in their homeland with the Eelaam flag hoisted on the front lawn.
The present Government Of Sri Lanka(GOSL) carried out an unnecessary war. The issue was political and it required negotiation with the freedom movement, LTTE.
The GOSL called the war by diierent names to hide the real purpose of the war; war for the independence of Tamil Eelam(TE).
GOSL carried out Tamil genocide, which the UN will soon find out when the special council on SL starts its hearing or investigations.
It is rather stupid for any person to expect the ethno-racist, genocidal regime in Colombo to act fairly and take care of Tamils and their needs in TE.
This is the very reason, now we see, the Tamils in exile, in all the countries, deciding to implement the Vaddukoddai resolution of 1976. And the sufferings of people in places like Kilinochchi are become worse.
The people of TE must look after themselves. Till then there can never be a "looking after".
Therefore, the UN must decide to bring about speedily, the independence of TE and accept it to the world body of nations, if it likes caring for the people of TE.