Sri Lanka 'facing aid shortfall'

(August 3, 2009) Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, in a BBC interview said he expected much more than had been promised by donors including the UN, the US and Japan. The funds are needed for facilities for nearly 300,000 people currently housed in government-run camps in the north after victory over Tamil Tiger rebels in May. Mr Rajapaksa's comments came as the UN and Western countries have been urging a rapid resettlement of Tamil civilians to their homes in the north of the country. Although the government has promised to resettle most of the civilians by the end of this year, many think the target may be tough to achieve. The government says it needs time to remove mines from war-affected areas and to root out insurgents hiding among the displaced population. The UN and other international agencies have been providing relief in the camps for Tamils displaced by the war. But long term rehabilitation needs additional resources. Some estimates suggest that Sri Lanka requires about $2bn for long term post-war reconstruction. The fresh appeal by Sri Lanka's powerful defence secretary comes more than a week after the approval of a $2.6bn loan by the International Monetary Fund. Sri Lanka had asked for the loan to weather a severe balance of payments crisis and tackle the effects of the global economic turndown. The loan was approved despite donors' concern about the government's human rights record during and after the war against Tamil rebels.