The Asian Development Bank and Japanese government are offering financial assistance to help internally displaced Sri Lankans rebuild infrastructure and access employment opportunities.
Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes during the 30-year conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the northern and eastern parts of the country. After the war ended in May 2009, those displaced have started returning to their original areas of residence but found it difficult to earn a living.
A USD2.5 million grant from the ADB-managed Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction will be used to provide cash-for-work and skills training for some 2,500 households in the country’s conflict-ravaged north region. The grant will also help to restore rural roads and field irrigation canals.
