Clinton visits Sri Lanka's tsunami hit east coast

The UN envoy for tsunami recovery and former US President Bill Clinton said Tuesday that Sri Lanka has achieved "real progress" almost a year after the tsunami but a lot still to be done.

Clinton who arrived here on Monday visited Sri Lanka's tsunami hit eastern coast of Trincomalee on Tuesday after meeting with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.

During his meeting with Clinton, Rajapakse admitted that progress in the reconstruction effort had been slow due to various unavoidable reasons.

However, Rajapakse said his new administration was determined to complete the reconstruction process with minimum delay.

"We have planned to double and treble our efforts to overcome our constraints. Post-tsunami reconstruction will be carried out equitably in the South, the North and the East, in our country," said Rajapakse.

Clinton inspected the tsunami rebuilding in Kinniya district of Trincomalee which was badly affected by last year's tsunami devastation. He also visited the relief camps and hospital.

"Almost one year after the devastating tsunami struck the coast of Sri Lanka, real progress has been achieved: 90 percent of children are back in school, epidemics have been prevented and transitional shelter has been provided to almost all internally displaced people," said Clinton in Kinniya.

"I was pleased to see some significant development in the areas but a lot still to be done," said Clinton, adding that Sri Lanka could be well satisfied with what had been achieved so far.

Clinton said efforts must focus on maintaining the shelters as the monsoon season approaches, providing jobs to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their source of livelihood as a result of the tsunami, and the construction of permanent homes.

Clinton also said he hoped that efforts to promote peace and reconciliation would prevail.

"Any recovery progress achieved this year will be quickly reversed if Sri Lanka returns to civil conflict," said Clinton.

More than 30,000 people were killed in Sri Lanka by the Dec. 26 tsunami last year.

This was Clinton's third visit to the island since the tragedy and he departed for Indonesia at the completion of his Sri Lanka visit.

Source: Xinhua