At the signing ceremony of Grant Contracts regarding the Humanitarian Demining Activities in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Jaffna Districts

Mr. Ananda Chandrasiri, Programme Manager, Delvon Assistance for Social Harmony (DASH), Staff members of DASH, members of media, Ladies and Gentlemen
 
Good morning.
It is my great pleasure to ink the 10^th Grant Contract for the humanitarian demining project implemented by DASH in Northern Sri Lanka, made possible through Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects, also known as ‘GGP’.
 
Assistance by the Government of Japan towards demining activities exceeds USD 37 million since 2003 and as Mr. Chandrasiri kindly mentioned, Japan is the only country that supports all the four demining organizations currently operational in the country. This project for which the grant contract was signed today is expected to enable the resettlement of the displaced people and to enhance directly or indirectly more than 350 families’ livelihoods in Kilinochchi, Mulaitivu and Jaffna Districts.
 
The Sri Lankan Government strives to achieve a “Mine Impact Free Sri Lanka”. This indeed is a huge accomplishment to clear more than 1,200 square km (km²) of mine fields in just over a decade since the end of the conflict. It is known that landmine contamination poses a burden on people returning to their homeland. In some instances all forms of facilities were destroyed, disrupting their daily life and livelihoods. The demining activities, therefore, have been contributing to restoring the standard of living in the conflict affected areas.
 
One should be reminded of the precarious nature of the task at hand.  Demining activities are conducted under constraint environments and demands the use of heavy protection equipment even under the severe heat. Given the nature of the task, it also calls for cooperation among members from different communities, thus contributing to local employment. We understand DASH will employ 120 members of staff under this GGP project, of which 30% are women.
 
I convey my sincere appreciation to all the parties involved for their commitment and dedication towards this valuable exercise and have no doubt that the intended outcomes of this project and the Government’s overall objectives will be realized in the near future.
The Government of Japan remains firmly committed to assisting the Government of Sri Lanka’s goal of achieving a “Mine-Impact Free Sri Lanka”.  
 
Thank you very much.