| "Discussions
on how to solve many humanitarian concerns were held
in the positive spirit and there is now an opportunity
to move forward constructively on many issued related
to humanitarian assistance”, said Mr. John Holmes,
United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator (ERC) and
Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs, after
his meeting with President Mahinda Rajapaksa this morning,
states a statement issued by the UN Office for Coordinating
Humanitarian Agencies (OCHA).
The OCHA statement said
President Rajapaksa and Mr. Holmes had a half and hour
of frank and positive discussions focused on humanitarian
operations in northern and eastern Sri Lanka, |
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where the ERC briefed the President on his visit to
Batticaloa and Vaharai, where UN agencies and NGOs assist
some 103,000 people who have returned to their homes
in areas taken by the Government after recent fighting
with the LTTE.
“It is vital to develop a strong partnership between
the Government and humanitarian actors to better assist
those most affected by the conflict”, said Mr.
Holmes, commenting on his three day visit to Sri Lanka.
Here is the text of the
statement issued by OCHA office in New York, today (August
09).
UN EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR MEETS THE PRESIDENT
OF SRI LANKA
(New York, 9 August 2007): On the last day of his visit
to Sri Lanka, John Holmes, United Nations Emergency
Relief Coordinator (ERC), shared his impressions on
the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka with the President
of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa. "Discussions on
how to solve many humanitarian concerns were held in
the positive spirit" said Mr. Holmes after the
meeting” There is now an opportunity to move forward
constructively on many issued related to humanitarian
assistance.
Half an hour of frank and positive discussions focused
on humanitarian operations in northern and eastern Sri
Lanka. The ERC briefed the President on his visit to
Batticaloa and Vaharai in eastern Sri Lanka. Where UN
agencies and non governmental organizations (NGOs) assist
some 103,000 people who have returned to their homes
in areas taken by the Government after recent fighting
with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), The
ERC agreed with the President that rehabilitation of
livelihoods and agriculture, coupled with re-establishment
of civil administration and police force, were priorities
in helping the returnees to rebuild their lives. Mr.
Holmes stressed the importance of continued the unimpeded
access of humanitarian agencies to areas of eastern
and northern Sri Lanka, and improved protection of civilians
affected by the conflict. He also welcomed an assurance
by the President about the planned disarmament of paramilitary
groups operating in eastern
Sri Lanka, as it could significantly improve protection
of returning internally displaced persons and other
conflict affected communities.
"It is vital to develop a strong partnership between
the Government and humanitarian actors to better assist
those most affected by the conflict" said, Mr.
Holmes, commenting on his three day visit to the country
"If humanitarian workers are better able to do
their job, international support for recovery and normalization
in eastern Sri Lanka will become much more likely, he
added. UN and NGO humanitarian projects in the Common
Humanitarian Action Plan for Sri Lanka amount to $120
million in 2007.
The President and the ERC agreed on the need for a quick
resolution of the ongoing investigations into the killings
of humanitarian workers, particularly those of the 17
staff of the French NGO Action Contre la Fail (ACF),
killed in eastern Sri Lanka a year ago.
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