Sri Lanka’s first fully UAE funded IDP ‘resettlement city’ opens

The first ever re-settlement city for Sri Lankan displaced persons fully funded by a donor from United Arab Emirates (UAE) was launched on January 13 in Mannar. The new facility goes beyond being a mere collection of new houses to integrate many infrastructures of a small city.

“UAE has been a longstanding friend of Sri Lanka. As the Minister of Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons I thank the Excellency ruler of UAE Emir Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and people of UAE, and especially UAE’s Charitable Donor Mahmoud Fatali Al Khajeh for extending his hands of friendship to the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) of Sri Lanka” said the Minister of Industry & Commerce, Resettlement of Protracted Displaced Persons & Cooperative Development Rishad Bathiudeen on 13 January in Mannar.

Minister Bathiudeen was joined by UAE’s Eng. Tareq Mahmoud Al Khajeh (son of donor Fatali Al Khajeh), representatives of Emirates Red Crescent (which supported the project) and resettling IDPs. This city is the first such single donor funded re-settlement facility in Sri Lanka and was granted for the displaced people of Uppukulam, Mannar on a direct, personal appeal made by Minister Bathiudeen to UAE funder Fatali Al Khajeh.

“UAE donor Fatali Al Khajeh has fully funded 120 house-Zayed city for the 120 protracted IDP families evicted from Uppukulam. These displaced IDPs, after evicted from Uppukulam during the war were living in Kalpitiya area and thanks to charitable donor Abdul Al Khaja, they will re-settle in the new Sheikh Zayed City in Mannar from today and start new lives. I am pleased to say that Sheikh Zayed City is not only a collection of 120 new houses but more. Therefore this charitable activity is a milestone in Sri Lanka-Saudi people-to-people relations” said Minister Bathiudeen.

Sheikh Zayed City is not just a collection of only 120 new houses for the displaced but has a shopping complex, community hall and a mosque, all of which were from donor Abdul Al Khaja on Minister Bathiudeen’s personal appeal on behalf of the IDPs.