Senior UN official visits war-ravaged north of Sri Lanka

A senior UN official, who is on a six-day tour to Sri Lanka, has visited the war ravaged north to assess the development needs in the area and hold discussions with government officials, the UN office in Colombo said on Wednesday.

UN Assistant Secretary General Xu Haoliang traveled to the northern town of Mullaitivu to assess the support extended by UN Development Program (UNDP) to the community and handed over a rice mill to the Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society (MPCS) Panankamam, a producer organization supported by UNDP Sri Lanka under a Norway- and New Zealand-funded northern livelihood development project.

He met with members and the Board of Directors of MPCS Panankamam to explore other opportunities and understand the results that have been achieved thus far in the district.

Earlier, Xu also visited the Community Forestry Project (CFP) Site in Mihintale, Anuradhapura, in the North Central Province, a UNDP-supported project funded by Australia, initiated to reduce deforestation and forest degradation in the dry and intermediate zones of Sri Lanka.

During his stay, Xu is expected to meet with government officials, representatives from Community Based Organizations and beneficiaries and gain a first-hand understanding of the development priorities and further support needs in the North and North Central Provinces of the country.

"I am here to learn more about emerging development needs and expectations, in this new environment, with the new government in office," Xu said on his arrival in Sri Lanka.

"I also see this as a significant opportunity to ascertain the future direction of UN's support, and in particular, to strengthening UNDP's role as a key development partner in Sri Lanka," he added.

The senior UN official's visit comes ahead of a visit by the UN Working Group for Enforced Disappearances and a visit by the team of the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL). Endi