Ban Ki Moon will visit Sri Lanka later this week and the Secretary General had this to say in advance of the trip.
“The task now facing the people of Sri Lanka is immense and requires all hands,” he said, stressing the need for progress in three critical areas: immediate humanitarian relief; reintegration and reconstruction; and a sustainable and equitable political solution.
The task now facing the people of Sri Lanka is immense and requires all hands
Progress on all three of these fronts must move forward in parallel – and it must begin now, he stated.
Mr. Ban’s Chief of Staff, Vijay Nambiar, is currently in the country and is engaged with relevant parties on how best to respond to the humanitarian situation of the large number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and initiate a process for early recovery and long-term reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction.
I’ll judge the trip a success if the outcome includes opening the internment camps to international aid agencies and the media.