IOM, with funding from the Australian Agency for International
Development (AusAID) and in close cooperation with the Sri Lankan
central and local government authorities, has handed over a newly
reconstructed irrigation system and embankment in the
conflict-affected northern Sri Lankan district of Vavuniya.

The project, which was handed over to the Department of Agrarian
Development of the Ministry of Agrarian Services and Wildlife, will
help 155 newly returned and resettled farming families in the
mainly Sinhala village of Kokweliya to restart their traditional
agriculture-based livelihoods.

The LKR 13 million (USD 120,000) project, which is part of a
3-year IOM community development programme in Sri Lanka's Northern
and Central Provinces, will enable controlled irrigation for paddy
cultivation in both wet and dry farming seasons, reduce flooding of
farmland and provide access to neighbouring villages.

"The beauty of this project is not just the economic benefits
that will accrue to the local communities.  It is also very
much about building bridges between formerly displaced Sinhalese
and Tamil communities who both suffered during the 27-year
conflict," said IOM Sri Lanka Chief of Mission Richard
Danziger.

For more information please contact:

Udara Soysa

IOM Colombo

Tel: +94115325300

E-mail: "mailto:usoysa@iom.int">usoysa@iom.int