Supporting the Resettlement of Returnees

The cessation of violence between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the LTTE resulted in the spontaneous return of 335,656 internally displaced persons between January 2002 and December 2003 to their own lands. These communities faced the enormous task of rebuilding their lives after the devastating effects of the conflict resulted in the loss of all their assets and facilities essential for basic living.

During June 2003 to January 2004, German Agro Action and Sewalanka Foundation partnered to implement two major projects in the north which provided 3,200 returning families with the basic living facilities.

The first project was supported through humanitarian assistance extended by the European Commission Humanitarian Commission (ECHO) to assist 703 families return to the Pallai area in Kilinochchi District and 997 families to the Vavuniya District. The second project was funded through the German Government’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and assisted 1500 families returning to the recently cleared high security zone of the Government controlled areas of Vavuniya, LTTE controlled areas and returning Muslim communities to Mannar.

Both projects aimed to restore the normal life of the returnees by providing the basic requirements of shelter, water, food security and establishing education facilities in the most needed areas. Following are the key project outcomes achieved:

-	Building materials were provided to all families to assist in building temporary shelters.
-	Renovation of 122 wells (87 wells funded by ECHO, 35 wells by BMZ) provided water for at least 942 families.
	Emergency food aid was provided to 1000 families as dry rations for one month.
-	Agriculture inputs specialising in paddy cultivation was provided to 3200 returned families to them in securing their own food source.
-	Six rain water in Vavuniya tanks and 10 ponds in the Kilinochchi District were restored to assist agricultural development.
-	Basic kitchen and tool sets were provided.
-	Two major school buildings in Omanthai and in Padikudirruppu, Vavuniya were constructed through BMZ support thus enabling approximately 500 students to return to schools.

Social mobilisation was a significant feature of this assistance as the active participation of the communities was sought in all development activities. Small self-help groups were formed consisting of five families and a special effort was made to involve the existing community-based-organisations.

Sewalanka is pleased to have worked with German Agro Action and the communities to complete these projects and looks forward to a continuing relationship.