Briefing on the achievements and challenges facing rehabilitation of the disqualified combatants, senior UN officials said that they are being rehabilitated outside their communities. [break]
“Stigmatization has been one of major challenges [of the rehabilitation],” said Desmond J Molloy, senior rehabilitation advisor at the United Nations Development Program during a press briefing.
The UN is involved in the rehabilitation of the disqualified combatants, who were discharged early this year. Though the UN had verified 4,008 disqualified combatants, only 2,394 took part in the formal discharge process. The discharged are free to approach for the UN rehabilitation packages.
As of Tuesday, altogether 1,837 discharged combatants have called the UN for rehabilitation packages and 981 have been referred to such packages. Currently, 465 of them are receiving training/educational support, according to the UN.
Molloy said that complex social, economic and political environment has been another challenge on road to rehabilitation of the discharged.
UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Robert Piper stressed on the need for engagement of the government and Maoists in the rehabilitation.
The discharged combatants can approach the UN for rehabilitation packages within a year after their release from cantonments. The UN has set up a toll free number to facilitate rehabilitation of the former combatants.
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