President Mahinda Rajapakse yesterday said the government has correctly understood the needs of the people in rural areas and promised to provide safe drinking water for the rural communities in the country.

He said the government has given priority to improve the quality of water and sanitation provided to the rural masses and is working on several water supply sanitation projects.

The President made this pledge at a function held to distribute 108 housing units to public at Thuruithurugama in Katukeliyawa, Anuradhapura.

Damage to schools is one of the most devastating effects of conflict. It destroys not only a familiar and important part of the local community, but can affect children’s educational experience and outcomes for many years.

When the school at Kilinochchi, in Sri Lanka’s north, re-opened in 2010 only 36 students returned. The school had been badly damaged in the conflict and none of the school buildings were safe for use. Students took their classes in temporary shelters and under the trees.

On par with the 65th National Independence Day celebrations Sri Lanka Army donated gift packs worth one million rupees to the people in Kelebogaswewa in Wanni at a function held in this regard on 03rd February.

About 100 families were gifted with packs of dry ration during the function. More than 150 school children in the area were presented with gift packs including school bags, exercise books, school shoes and other schooling needs.

CARE is currently responding to the series of floods which have occurred across Sri Lanka over the past weeks. Heavy rainfall began around the 18th of December in several districts of the country, causing floods and landslides which have affected an estimated 380’000 people and damaged over 31’000 homes. For the affected regions in eastern and northern Sri Lanka this latest crisis has meant a grim end to an already difficult year: a ten-month drought began in February and lasted through much of 2012, and in early November Cyclone Nisha displaced almost 20’000 people.

Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict

1. At its 33rd meeting, on 31 May 2012, the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict examined the fourth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Sri Lanka (S/2011/793), covering the period from 1 February 2009 to 30 June 2011, which was introduced by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. A representative of the Government of Sri Lanka to the United Nations also addressed the Working Group.

Foreign Minister Bob Carr has confirmed Australia’s continuing support for education in Sri Lanka during a three-day visit to Colombo.

Senator Carr took time out from discussions with the Sri Lankan Government to visit a local school and see firsthand the good that the focus on education is doing in the country.

Australia has committed $34 million to the Sri Lanka Government’s five-year education sector plan to improve the quality of primary and secondary education, reduce regional imbalances in access to state education and promote social cohesion throughout Sri Lanka.

As a measure to supplement the shortage of qualifies Pre- School teachers in the North and East 400 youth from the region including rehabilitated ex-LTTE cadres have been recruited as Pre-School teachers.

Under the directions of the Secretary Defence and Urban Development Mr. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the Director General of the Civil Security Department Rear Admiral (Retd) Ananda Peiris had made arrangements to recruit these rehabilitation beneficiaries and civilians to the department as Pre-School teachers.

I. SITUATION OVERVIEW & HIGHLIGHTS

Returns and displacement

By the end of October 2012, 471,588 people (141,336 families) had returned to the Northern Province. This figure includes 241,467 people (76,885 families) displaced after April 2008 and 230,121 persons (64,451 families) displaced before April 2008.

I. SITUATION OVERVIEW & HIGHLIGHTS

Returns and displacement

By the end of September 2012, 453,070 people (135,281 families) had returned to the Northern Province. This figure includes 236,238 people (74,894 families) displaced after April 2008 and 216,832 persons (60,387 families) displaced before April 2008.