IOM has started to rebuild Vakarai Maha Vidyalayam, a school in the
Batticaloa district of Eastern Sri Lanka, which was completely
destroyed by the December 2004 tsunami.

The USD 3 million project, which is funded by the European
Commission, will comprise permanent buildings for primary and
secondary schools and an assembly hall. Some 900 students from
Grades 1 through 13, currently studying in temporary structures,
will use the facility.

The school buildings will include classrooms; a library;
science, computer, vocational and technology laboratories;
administration offices; a language centre; aesthetics rooms and a
canteen, according to IOM Sri Lanka Chief of Mission Mohammed Abdi
Ker.

"IOM is helping the Sri Lankan government to resume educational
activities for tsunami- and conflict-affected student populations
in Sri Lanka and we are very happy to partner the EC and the
Ministry of Education in this venture," he said.

"We hope that the reconstruction of Vakarai Maha Vidyalam will
enable a significant number of students in the Batticaloa district
to continue their education under much improved conditions," said a
spokesperson for the Delegation of the European Commission to Sri
Lanka and the Maldives.

The school complex is one of a number of post-tsunami projects
financed by the EC's EUR 147 million aid package, which targets
affected districts in the South, East and North of the country.

For more information, please contact:

Passanna Gunasekera

IOM Sri Lanka

Tel: 5333432 ext. 213

E-mail: "mailto:pgunasekera@iom.int">pgunasekera@iom.int