Dutch financial boost for post-LTTE rehab, resettlement efforts amidst GSP+ controversy

(by Shamindra Ferdinando)

Sri Lanka’s efforts to rehabilitate ex-LTTE cadres and help the war displaced families to return to their villagers received a major financial boost from the Netherlands.

Pledging Euro 2 million (approximately Rs. 277,820,000) in support of the ongoing rehabilitation and resettlement efforts, Dutch Ambassador Leoni Cuelenaere explained their decision to support the post-LTTE rehabilitation and reconstruction process. Appreciating the work carried out by the International organization for Migration (IOM) in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, Ambassador Cuelenaere said that Euro one million each would be provided for two key IOM programmes.

IOM Sri Lanka Deputy Chief of Mission Lorena Lando said that they had been involved in a smaller project on the same lines in 2003. Both Ambassador Cuelenaere and Ms Lando expressed confidence that the post-LTTE efforts would be successful.

The Dutch help came in the wake of a simmering dispute between Sri Lanka and the EU over the extension of GSP plus trade concessions for a limited period.

Responding to a query by The Island whether the controversy over GSP plus issue could force EU member state the Netherlands to turn her back on Colombo, Ambassador Cuelenaere emphasized that one was essentially a trade matter and that would not affect various other programmes. She said that there was no bar on individual EU member states to fund programmes in support of Sri Lanka. She went onto briefly explain EU funded initiatives, though the GSP plus remained an issue.

To the credit of the IOM, the agency had facilitated the movement of 190,000 war displaced persons from IDP facilities to their villages since the conclusion of the war in May last year. According to a joint statement issued by the Netherlands embassy and the IOM, the government wanted to resettle the remaining 55,000 persons still at makeshift camps by end of August.

The IOM has helped 9,600 families to start new livelihoods, by providing training, tools and small grants for families engaged in agriculture, livestock rearing, fisheries and small industries.