Mr. James Entwistle, Charge' d'Affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo, today inaugurated three U.S. government-funded projects in Jaffna aimed at restoring basic services
and improving livelihoods for conflict-affected segments of the population.

The projects represent approximately $275,000 in support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and will benefit more than 100,000 Sri Lankans.

In the morning, Mr. Entwistle handed over new equipment to the maternity ward and inspected two rehabilitated doctors' quarters at the Moolai Cooperative Hospital. Following that he visited two government welfare centers in the Sandilipay Division where U.S. support - including $20,000 from the U.S. Embassy Ambassador's Fund for Refugees -- is providing portable, transitional shelter and constructing or improving latrines and water points for 450 families. In the afternoon, following
a courtesy call to the Government Agent of Jaffna, Mr. Entwistle handed over five industrial standard sewing machines to 20 female heads of household, many of them war widows, at a garment cottage industry near Chavakachcheri.

"These are gifts from the people of the United States to the people of Jaffna, and they represent the benefits of peace for a community that clearly deserves it," Mr. Entwistle said at Moolai Hospital. "Moolai Cooperative Hospital is a Jaffna landmark, and seeing some of its earlier luster restored is gratifying for all of us. We encourage local residents and the Tamil diaspora, which has played such an important role in the project, to sustain the partnerships, dialogue and commitment that helped make this possible." USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives (OTI) in Sri Lanka, through which the Jaffna projects were funded, aims to generate support for a negotiated peace settlement to end the long-standing conflict. OTI-assisted activities demonstrate tangible benefits of peace; increase the exchange of accurate, balanced information on peace issues; and promote community level conflict management and peaceful co-existence.

Since March 2003, USAID/OTI's flexible and fast small-grants program in Sri Lanka has made 190 grants - almost all to local organizations -- totaling US $4.2 million.