Colombo: The World Bank on Thursday approved US$ 182 million in aid to Sri Lanka for the rehabilitation of the war-ravaged northern region and the conflict-affected people.
A US$77 million package was approved for the resettlement of the remaining Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their original homes in the Northern Province and to restore their livelihoods.
Another US$105 million credit was given to support the rehabilitation of provincial roads in Eastern, Northern and Southern Uva provinces under the Provincial Roads Project.
Issuing a statement on Thursday, the World Bank said the war-ravaged is country now facing a historic opportunity for development and reconciliation.
"The challenges of reconciliation and reconstruction are daunting," World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka Ms. Naoko Ishii said.
The Director pointed out that the approval of aid package by the World Bank's Board of Directors demonstrates that development partners recognize the challenges that the country is facing and want to help.
"We trust the interventions initiated by the World Bank-supported projects in the North will build a good foundation for rehabilitation and reconstruction and provide a strong platform for the Government to welcome other development agencies as they too come forward to assist Sri Lanka at this critical juncture," she added.
Out of the aid package approved for IDP rehabilitation, the US$65 million Emergency Northern Recovery Project (ENREP) was allocated to help the Sri Lankan government to return the remaining 100,000 IDPs and provide assistance to rebuild their economic and social lives.
The project will restore village-level infrastructure and war-damaged rural access roads, drinking water, irrigation facilities, and public office buildings, the World Bank said.
The other US$12 million will provide assistance under the Reawakening Project in the East to provide livelihood support to the most vulnerable returning IDPs, including women-headed households, youth and ex-combatants, as well as disabled and landless people.
The Provincial Roads Project includes a $20 million allocation to the Northern Province to rebuild about 100km of provincial roads and other road infrastructure in selected, prioritized areas of Jaffna District.
The remainder will finance improvement of 150km of roads in Uva Province and 100km in Ampara District of the Eastern Province.
Improving the road infrastructure in these provinces help to uplift the lives of the people in these provinces who rely on agriculture as a main source of income as the better transportation help them to market their products at better prices, the World Bank pointed out.
The credits from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank's concessionary lending arm, have 20 years to maturity with a 10-year grace period.
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