(Thousands of houses were destroyed in the war)
The European Union will invest 14 million Euros to build houses and improve infrastructure in 9 divisions of the North and East.
The EU programme will seek to benefit over 300,000 people in Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya and Batticaloa.
The Habitat for Humanity project aims to construct at least 16,000 houses for conflict affected persons, minimise debt and provide holistic development support.
Speaking during the inauguration of the project, Ambassador of the Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, David Daly, said,
“The project contributed to a sustainable solution for returnee families with the specific objective of improving the living conditions and social cohesion of displaced people, returnees and their host communities. This is not just an infrastructure project, but an initiative that will contribute to livelihood support through skills development and loan facilities to help people build towards a more hopeful future.”
The Area Vice President for Habitat for Humanity Europe, Middle East and Asia, Greg Foster, said,
“At Habitat for Humanity, we believe that housing is not a product by a process. It is not enough to build houses, we need to turn them into homes and empower homeowners to transition from poverty and dependency to independence and self-sufficiency.”
TG