The visiting UN Under Secretary General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe yesterday assured UN assistance to expedite the resettlement process of the IDPs, accommodated in welfare centres.

Addressing a press conference last night at the Foreign Ministry, he emphasised that resettlement and rehabilitation had to be done as soon as possible. He expressed satisfaction at the pace of the ongoing de-mining process.

Earlier in the day, he visited the Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya welfare centres including Menik Farm, the largest facility.

"It’s never good to cramp up many families in one place and they would like to move to be resettled in their homes as quickly as possible and would like to cook their own food and do things on their own," he said.

"I came here with the UN Secretary General three months ago and now I have come here to evaluate the current situation," he said.

But he declined to comment on the situation until he met with the President and Opposition members on Friday, (September 18)