Muttur displaced to get transit camp with modern facilities

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 February 2005, 04:15 GMT]
International Organization for Migrants (IOM) is proceeding with the construction of 45-unit transit camp for Tsunami affected families in Muttur division, sources in the East said. Each unit in the building will provide shelter to four families and the camp will contain a common recreational center and a Children play area. The families will use the camp as temporary residence till they are provided with own houses, IOM sources said.

About one thousand members of 180 families who have lost their houses in tsunami when it hit Habeeb Nagar on December 26.

The families who have currently sought shelter in Muttur Annahaar Muslim School will be transferred to this transit camp by about Friday, IOM sources said.

Mr. Brunson McKinley, Director General of IOM, accompanied by Ms Mary Sheehan, IOM Chief of Mission in Sri Lanka, visited Naduthivu Sunday evening and inspected the construction work of the transit camp.

Mr McKinley and his team arrived Muttur by special helicopter and were received by Mr.K.Nadarajah, Muttur Divisional Secretary and Mr.Muralitharan, IOM Trincomalee Project Officer. Later Mr. McKinley held discussions with Mr.Nadaraja about the needs of tsunami victims and their livelihood facilities.



IOM is the principal intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. Established in 1951,102 countries are currently IOM members and a further 29 hold observer status, as do numerous international governmental and non-governmental organizations, sources said.

Although IOM is not part of the United Nations system, it has held observer status in the General Assembly since 1992, sources said. IOM's mandate is to help ensure the orderly flow of international migrants; To promote international co-operation on migrant issues; to aid in search for practical solution to migrant problems; and contribute to international solidarity by providing humanitarian assistance to people in need, sources said.