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Sri Lanka

Joint Humanitarian and Early Recovery Update, Sri Lanka, September 2012 – Report #46

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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.

With the closure of Menik Farm welfare centre in Vavuniya district, there are no ‘new IDPs’ living in camps in the country. An additional 7,329 IDPs (1,981 families) from the protracted or long-term caseload, displaced prior to April 2008, remained in welfare centres in Jaffna and Vavuniya districts.

The Government and the UN are committed to finding solutions for displaced people, who sought shelter with friends and relatives, left camps and are still living with host families, or are stranded in transit sites. Additionally longterm IDPs seek assistance to reclaim their homes and properties or integrate with their host communities.

Closure of Menik Farm, Vavuniya district

Menik Farm, the last remaining displacement camp for new IDPs, closed with the following final return/relocation movements during the latter part of the month:

  • 214 IDPs (55 families) landless people originally from Keppappilavu Grama Niladhari Division (GND) of Maritimepattu Divisional Secretariat Division (DSD) relocated voluntarily to the nearby Sooripuram Village on 20 September.

  • 346 IDPs (110 households) were relocated to Sooripuram Village in Keppapilavu GND. These people remain IDPs as durable solutions need to be found.

  • 814 IDPs (251 households) returned to their home areas in Manthuvil in Maritimepattu DSD on 24 September.

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