Special report: Ceasefire over in Sri Lanka

    by Chen Zhanjie

    COLOMBO, Dec. 26 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka is continuing to recover from the 2004 tsunami that killed more than 35,000 people and displaced about 1 million, but the military conflict between the government troops and the Tamil Tiger rebels is slowing down the pace of reconstruction.

    Two years after the tsunami, with the support of about 2.9 billion U.S. dollars pledged by the international community, the government said it has succeeded in resettling the majority of the displaced people and reviving most local industries hit by the tidal waves.

    Shanthi Fernando, Chief Executive Officer of the Reconstruction and Development Agency, set up to coordinate the rebuilding process, said 56 percent of the houses planned for tsunami displaced families have been completed while housing for another 42 percent was in progress.

    "The total housing requirement after the tsunami was 114,069 units. Of this, we have now completed 63,469 houses. Another 47,859 are in progress," she said.

    Fernando said she was also satisfied with the recovery in the livelihood sector as most industries including fisheries, agriculture and tourism recording a recovery rate of over 80 percent.

    The fisheries industry was one of the sectors that was hardest hit by the tsunami with 75 percent of the fishing fleet being lost. Of the 150,000 people who lost their livelihood, about 50 percent were employed in the fisheries sector.

    "We have been able to provide new boats to 95 percent of people whose fishing boats were completely destroyed in the tsunami while almost all the boats which were partially damaged have been repaired," said Fernando.