Loading...
IOM works with the government of Sri Lanka and with international governments to help restore stability to the country after 30 years of conflict. The strongest needs are in the North and East of the country, which also suffered most in the tsunami of December 2004. IOM works with communities to provide livelihood support – simply put, getting people back to work so they can feed, clothe and educate their families. Many thousands of Sri Lankans, particularly in the Tamil north, have been displaced several times by conflict. In fact the world’s largest camp for internally displaced people, at Menik Farm, near Vavuniya, closed just last year. Hundreds of thousands of people have returned to their former homes, to a shattered economy and a climate of uncertainty. Against that backdrop IOM runs livelihood, infrastructure and shelter programmes. “It is hugely important for us to continue to fund community development programmes across the island,” stresses Richard Danziger, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2013. “Jobs and a sense of self-worth prevent tensions from spilling over. More than that, they keep communities together and prevent the exploitation of would-be migrants. And migrants or failed asylum seekers who are unsuccessful in remaining overseas need to know that there is a chance for them to have another shot at making it work back at home.”