Sri Lanka’s war-torn areas to get more funds: World Bank

Jan 12, 2010, (LBO) - Sri Lanka's war torn areas would get more World Bank funds this year as the region recovers from a 30-year war, with a little over 250 million US dollars already approved, country director Naoko Ishii said.







"We have another four programs which will go for board approval when negotiations are complete," Ishii told reporters.

From September 2009, the World Bank had approved three programs of 182 million US dollars and another 77 million dollar program.

"Our funding for north east re-construction will increase to 50 percent of the total in 2010 from 30 percent in 2009," Ishii said.

A 30-year separatist campaign ended in May 2009.

She said the government has estimated a funding need of two billion US dollars for the north and east.

A 77 million dollar emergency package approved in December will help 40,000 refugee families re-settle from this year.

"Assistance will go to women headed families, and families headed by children," Nihal Fernando, senior rural development specialist at the World Bank said.

"There are households headed by 16 and 17 year old children whose parents have died.



"

The World Bank said it was working in co-ordination with Asian Development Bank and the Jap