Colombo – IOM, in close cooperation with Australia's Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Sri Lankan central and local government authorities, will today hand over a large auction centre and multi-purpose storage facility to the Mathagal Rural Fishermen Organization (MRFO) in the Sandilipay DS Division of Jaffna District.

The buildings will be used by 700 fishing families from Mathagal East, West and South registered with six Fishermen's Cooperative Societies (FCS) to auction their catch and to store their tools and equipment at their anchoring point. The facility will also provide an area for engine repairs and maintenance and a place to mend their nets.

The LKR 5.9 million (USD 55,000) project is part of a 3-year IOM community stabilisation programme in Sri Lanka's Northern and Central Provinces funded by AusAID.

"This project is a good example of IOM and the Australian Government's efforts to sustain the return and socio-economic development of conflict-affected populations in the Northern Province through partnering closely with both communities and the government" said IOM Sri Lanka Chief of Mission Richard Danziger.

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For more information please contact: Udara Soysa, IOM Colombo, Tel: + 94 (0) 11 5325300 Ext. 352, E-mail: usoysa@iom.int