Refugee Resettlement Jaffna, Sri Lanka

Abstract

War: the global catastrophe that has been devastating human lives since the beginning of time. The Society of International Law in London reveals the atrocious veracity of the last 4000 years of which the world has witnessed a mere 286 years of peace. The general notion of dispute as an irrefutable consequent of human nature, war, by any means cannot be vindicated due to its resultant significant loss of lives and destruction of infrastructure and resources. Displacement is yet another tragic denouement of war. Recent statistics on displacement state of a new record in the post Second World War era, where internally displaced persons (IDPs) have exceeded 50 million people globally. In Sri Lanka, a population of 90,000 IDPs, originating from the Northern and Eastern provinces inhabit with host families and in welfare camps. Successive governments and non-government organisations within Sri Lanka have attempted addressing the issue of resettlement while elevating facilitative approaches including financial stability and upgrading lifestyles in their original area of displacement or in a novel location all together. This study explores the customaries of the lifestyle of Jaffna, deliberating the strength of communal life among families and their neighbours. It is established within, that communal interaction is translated into built form via precise elements and spaces, which are determinants of good community spaces in resettlement housing. Thus, rehabilitation is a successful process derivative of and intricately allied with good community space and elements.