The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide an emergency loan of $150 million to Sri Lanka for projects involving the internally displaced persons. The loan will support reconstruction of urgently-needed infrastructure, restore essential services and revive livelihood opportunities for people in war-affected regions, the ADB said in a statement.
The loan is part of the wider assistance being extended by ADB and other development partners to support resettlement and rehabilitation of thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
This is particularly in the war-ravaged Northern Province and also in areas in the Eastern Province and North Central Province which have been affected by the (LTTE) conflict, it said.
For nearly three decades, Sri Lanka was torn by internal armed conflict, with infrastructure destroyed, access to basic social services disrupted and livelihood of people severely affected. Following the end of the conflict in May 2009, the government began undertaking the difficult process of resettling nearly 3 lakh IDPs.
According to the government estimates, about 80,000 IDPs are still to be resettled in their original places of residence, the ADB said. ADB has participated in three fact-finding missions to the conflict-affected areas and also held extensive discussions with government officials at various levels to determine the nature and extent of assistance that could be provided to IDPs.
"ADB's assistance will expand and strengthen the reconstruction of urgently needed essential economic and social infrastructure and administrative services," it said. It will also create livelihood and sustainable employment opportunities in the war-affected area, said Richard Vokes, the Country Director of ADB's Sri Lanka Resident Mission.
ADB is currently contributing to efforts to rehabilitate IDP communities in the northern and eastern parts of the country through a range of projects such as repairing damaged schools, hospitals and roads, and providing tractors to farmers' cooperatives and livelihood grants to IDP families.
The emergency loan will be sourced from ADB's ordinary capital resources. It will have a 32-year term, including a grace period of 8 years and an annual interest rate based on ADB's London interbank offer rate-based lending facility.
The government of Sri Lanka will provide $18.24 million for the project.
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The emergency loan has been late in coming but better late than never. There are reports that the refugees are even short of water fro their basic needs. The dispensing of the loan to fulfill urgent needs will be a matter of utmost urgency with proper public accountabilty- a tricky problem.
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