Uduthurai residents' long wait for tsunami help

[TamilNet, Saturday, 04 February 2006, 15:01 GMT]
Tsunami affected families in Uduthurai village in Vadamarachchi east in Jaffna district Friday complained to the Government Agent that they are neglected by the government authorities in providing permanent houses even one year after the disaster. Uduthurai Rural Development Forum in a memorandum said that the people of Uduthurai have suffered immensely in war and tsunami losing their lives and properties compared to other areas in the Jaffna district, sources said.

"Even after one year since tsunami disaster normalcy has not returned in the lives of families affected by the war and natural calamity.

"298 families in Uduthurai north division have not been provided with lands for the construction of permanent houses. In the Uduthurai east lands have been earmarked and jungles have been cleared in these lands but no action has been taken to commence the construction of permanent houses.

"Permanent houses have to be provided for 169 families in state lands and to fifty families in their own lands," said the memorandum.