Bishops provide aid, listen to grievances of returned Tamil refugees

 Six Catholic bishops met resettled Tamil war refugees in the Jaffna Diocese in northern Sri Lanka to hear their grievances and deliver relief aid. The delegation of bishops March 6 said they wanted to see firsthand the difficulties refugees face as they work to rebuild their lives following the end in June of a 26-year civil war between Sri Lankan forces and Tamil rebels, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News. Since then, an estimated 200,000 Tamil civilians have returned to their villages to find their homes destroyed and most of their possessions missing or unusable. Thousands more are in transit or remain in rehabilitation camps.
During their tour of the Kilinochchi, Mulangavil, Vidaltaltivu, Iranamadu and Kiran areas, the bishops delivered bicycles, solar-powered lamps, oil lamps, clothing and school supplies for children. Father Christopher George Jayakumar, director of the Caritas Human Development Center in Jaffna, accompanied the prelates. He said the meetings focused on villagers who want the return of their belongings -- including boats and farm tools -- lost during the war. The people, mainly Hindus and Catholics, are struggling to make a living, the priest said. They also face practical problems such as obtaining official documents, especially death certificates for family members.