The final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War created 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs)
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The final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War created 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were transferred to camps in Vavuniya District and detained there against their will. This, together with the conditions inside the camps and the slow progress of resettlement has attracted much concern and criticism from inside and outside Sri Lanka. On 7 May 2009 the Sri Lankan government announced plans to resettle 80% of the IDPs by the end of 2009. After the end of the civil war Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa gave assurances to foreign diplomats that the bulk of the IDPs would be resettled in accordance with the 180 day plan. On 1 December 2009 the camps were opened up, giving the IDPs limited freedom. The IDPs would have to return to camps within 15 days or report to the police regularly. On 30 December 2009 the Sri Lankan government stated that there was no deadline for the resettlement of the IDPs. By 2 May 2010, more than 340 days after the end of the civil war, 74% (214,000) of the IDPs had been released or returned to their places of origin, with 77,000 still being held in the camps. The UN has expressed concern for the 100,000+ IDPs that remain in the camps given that international funding for the camps came to an end on 31 January 2010.
