Development strategy needed for IDPs in Sri Lanka: UN envoy

While Sri Lanka has made progress in the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs) after the end of the civil war in the north in 2009, it still has to do more as many of them live in precarious conditions, a UN special envoy has said.
"After having made impressive strides in rebuilding infrastructure destroyed during the conflict, post-conflict reconstruction in Sri Lanka should also focus on addressing durable solutions for all IDPs and those who have returned to their areas of origin on a comprehensive basis," said Chaloka Beyani, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights of IDPs.
Beyani had toured conflict-affected areas in the Tamil-dominated north earlier this month.

Other issues include protection of the physical integrity and bodily autonomy of women and girls and their reproductive rights, of children, feasible access to land and freedom of movement and choice of place for IDPs seeking to return to their original places of residence.
It is essential for the government and development agencies to resolve the issues of IDPs with durable solutions that address their needs and livelihoods like development plans, rule of law, human rights, and good governance programmes, Beyani said in a statement.
The statement said that government efforts together with humanitarian partners supported the return or settlement of over 450,000 IDPs displaced during the conflict.

However, a significant number of IDPs still live in protracted displacement, and tens of thousands others who have returned or have been settled elsewhere in the north live in very precarious conditions and need more durable housing, access to social services, and the creation of livelihood opportunities.
While former LTTE members have been formally demobilised and rehabilitated, they continue to face difficulties as monitoring and control measures by security forces limit their ability to find employment.