No time frame for resettlement of Vanni IDPs - Media Minister

[TamilNet, Friday, 18 September 2009, 04:48 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) Thursday said a time frame for the completion or partial completion of resettlement cannot be given despite the assurance given to the UN chief that 80 percent of the resettlement will be completed by the end of this year, according to Media Minister and cabinet spokesman, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa.

“The resettlement procedure takes a long time, therefore it’s unfeasible to set up a time frame. It depends on how the de-mining process takes place,” he added.

Earlier this year the government assured the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that 80 percent of the resettlement will be completed by the end of this year.

According to the Minister around 250,000 persons are living in camps in Vavuniya.