IOM provides transition homes to Kallady villagers

[TamilNet, Monday, 25 July 2005, 03:50 GMT]
Ms Mary Sheehan, Chief of Mission of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) Friday handed over 148 transition homes to tsunami hit villagers of Kallady, a fishing hamlet in the Eachchilampathu division, down south of Trincomalee district. In addition the IOM has provided livelihood assistance to these families, sources said.

Ms. Mary Sheehan accompanied by Mr.T. Muralitharan, IOM Trincomalee District Project Director and Mr.A.Umamaheswaran, Eachchilampathu Assistant Government Agent, Mr.S.Thangan, LTTE Eachchilampathu-Muttur Political head and Ms. Vani, Head of the Sothia Brigade of the LTTE participated in the event, sources said.

IOM has set up a sewing training centre in the Kallady transition home complex. Fifteen sewing machines were donated to selected women of the village to earn for their livelihood. Telephone sets were given two villagers to run communication centres in the village to provide telephone facilities. Fishermen were given push bicycles and related accessories to carry out their normal business, sources said.

IOM has been providing psychosocial counseling to tsunami victims to overcome stress, sources said.

"Transition homes and livelihood assistance provided by the IOM with the financial assistance from European Commission Humanitarian Organization (ECHO) would help the affected people to regain a sense of normality in their lives," said Ms Mary Sheehan addressing the event.

Each transition home is constructed in an extent of two hundred square feet of space with adequate ventilation, electricity, water, sanitation and other basic facilities, IOM sources said.

Mr.Muralitharan said the IOM has constructed about 2000 transition homes in the tsunami-affected districts, Trincomalee, Amparai, Batticaloa, Matara and Kalutara. In addition to tsunami relief works the IOM has been engaged in providing shelter and livelihood assistance to returnees from India.

The IOM's says in its website: "Established in 1951 as an intergovernmental organization to resettle European displaced persons, refugees and migrants, IOM has now grown to encompass a variety of migration management activities throughout the world. The IOM assists in meeting the growing operational challenges of migration management, advances understanding of migration issues, encourages social and economic development through migration, and upholds the human dignity and well-being of migrants."



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