UAE donates 120 houses to displaced Sri Lankans
A total of 120 houses built in Sri Lanka with Emirati aid have been given to displaced families in the north.
The new housing scheme, dubbed Sheikh Zayed Resettlement City, was fully funded by Emirati philanthropist Mahmoud Fatali Al-Khajeh. It includes a shopping complex, community hall, playground and mosque.
Sri Lankan Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen said there was a simple ceremony at the site for the handover of the new houses on Sunday.
He said the beneficiaries had abandoned their dwellings decades ago after Tamil rebels gave them 24 hours to vacate their native villages in the north.
“They fled for their lives without their belongings and came to Kalpitiya village in western Sri Lanka,” he told Arab News, adding that successive governments had failed to help them.
Bathiudeen said the UAE government responded to his appeal to find decent homes for the victims of violence.
“I’m really thankful to the UAE and the donor for their magnanimity in helping the displaced by giving them a new lease of life,” he said, adding that the total cost of the 120 houses and other facilities was SR40 million ($10.66 million).
Abdul Cader, one of those who received a house, said his family was displaced by Tamil rebels 15 years ago.
He thanked the UAE government and Bathiudeen for housing his family.
(Arab News)

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what is the commission for Rishad Bathiudeen, 20% or more from SR 40 million.Shame on Lanka begging for money from the Arab thambiyans . Even I do not know how much goes to the central gov to release these thambiyan funds.
its been already billions of debt from around the world especially while money plunderer mahinda’s regime and especially from India and China who are more eager to lend lump of money with the intention of grabbing some part of the island in their control to establish their union power around south east asia and pacific .
see, raising the racism issues and conflicts in between buddhist extremist and lanka thambiyans are the main concern of their goal but these conspiracies are not known to these foolish sinhala people in sri lanka .
this is the fact.