English.news.cn 2012-11-07
14:27:24
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COLOMBO,
Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) has come forward to address land
issues faced by Sri Lanka's war displaced people who have been resettled, a UN
agency in Colombo said on Wednesday.
The
UN refugee agency, UNHCR, said fresh challenges have emerged as people continue
to return home and it is working with local authorities and partners to support
sustainable returns by addressing some of the problems, including housing, land
and property.
Following
the end of a 30 year war between the military and the Tamil Tiger rebels,
thousands of displaced people were resettled and the final batch was moved out
of a war displacement camp in the north last month.
However
UNHCR said with local government services virtually non- existent at the time
of return, the returnees were unable to obtain copies of documents or could not
afford to do so. That meant many people could not prove that they owned their
land.
"Land
documentation is critical for these families to restart their lives and
reintegrate in their villages," said Michael Zwack, UNHCR's representative
in Sri Lanka.
"Without
land deeds, returnee families cannot obtain the clearance to rebuild their
homes or prove ownership in order to access housing assistance. Documents are
also essential for families to claim compensation for private land that has
been used for state purposes."
To
help tackle this thorny problem, the UN refugee agency has provided computers,
photocopiers, scanners and fax machines to 45 local government offices dealing
with land documentation and records in the Mannar, Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu
and Kilinochchi districts. These will allow officials to process land claims
and issue fresh documentation.
"The
responsibility of meeting land and civil documentation needs generally lies
with the Registrar General's Department. These functions are decentralized to
the local government offices and the land registries in the districts,"
explained Zwack. "So while this equipment is provided primarily to help
streamline the application process for land documentation, it also helps
streamline the general functions and increase the efficiency of the local
government offices."
UNHCR,
through local partner organizations, is also helping in the demarcation
process, so that returnees can cordon off their area and build protective
fences.
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Editor: Chen Zhi
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