UNHCR - 'still people displaced'

by admin
Sep 27, 2012

The UN Refugee Agency expressed concern on Thursday, about the families who have been relocated from Menik Farm.

Despite seeing the closure of Menik Farm as a "significant step towards ending displacement", the UNHCR's representative in Sri Lanka Michael Zwack pointed out, "but there are still people displaced in different situations who need to find a solution."

On their website, UN Refugee Agency wrote,

'When it [Menik Farm] was shut down on Monday, there were just 346 people left.

But this last group of people was not allowed to return to their homes in the Kepapilavu area of north-eastern Sri Lanka's Mullaitivu district because their land is being occupied by the military. They were, instead, relocated on state-owned land and they must wait to hear if they will be able to return home or, if not, whether they will receive compensation.

While acknowledging government efforts to resolve the issue, Zwack stressed that allowing people to settle anywhere in the country, and resolving legal ownership of land, is a key part of the reconciliation process.'

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