Assessing the post conflict recovery in Northern Sri Lanka
09/10/2012 – Vavuniya, Sri Lanka: The President of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) Jagath Abeysinghe and the Director General of SLRCS Tissa Abeywickrama along with the Head of Delegation of International Federation of Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Bob McKerrow travelled to the northern parts of the island to assess the progress made with regard to the Post Conflict Recovery Programme (RC PCRP).
The visit was aimed to get a firsthand look at the PCRP programme, which began in 2010 to assist over 3000 families.
Recently the Government of India awarded the Red Cross with funding to boost that figure in 16,800 families, thus brining the total number of families helped by the Red Cross to 19,800.
Dr. Mahesh Gunasekara, Senior Coordinator of PCRP along with the Branch Officials of Kilinochchi & Jaffna accompanied the Senior Management Team (SMT) in their visit.
The President, Director General and the Head of Delegation visited several villages in Nachchikuda & Poonagari in the Kilinochchi district and Karainagar in the Jaffna district.
In Poonagari the SMT held a meeting with the families in the area to inquire into the wellbeing of them, especially after the conflict.
During this meeting people in the area expressed their gratitude to the Red Cross for taking the initiative to help them, especially after a conflict that derelict their lives for over 30 years.
Thambapillai Kugadas who lost his left arm to a bomb explosion said “Life has been difficult for us, and certainly it would not have been possible for us to get up by ourselves. This is why we are eternally grateful to the Red Cross for looking after us”
Meanwhile the President requested everyone to join with the Red Cross in order to strengthen the support provided to more families.
“We need to go and help everyone who were affected by this war. For that we need your support.”
In Karainagar, Jaffna the SMT managed to inspect several houses constructed under the guidance of the Red Cross. Here the President held discussion with the recipient families and inquired into their wellbeing.
On the second day of the SMT’s visit to the north, they visited the Jaffna Office of the IFRC, which is carrying a Hygiene Promotion Programme in collaboration with SLRCS.
The Red Cross is promoting better hygiene and has constructed toilets for the use of school children in several schools in the peninsula. The SMT was given a brief of the programme soon after which they were escorted to a near by school where the programme was implemented.
They visited St. Thomas’s College in Point Pedro & Vadamarachchi Hindu Girl’s College where they inspected the toilets that have been constructed for the school children.
The SMT also visited the Kilinochchi & Jaffna SLRCS branches and spent some time with the staff in order to appreciate their support while motivating them for the future.
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