Sri Lanka has been in the grips of civil war since 1983. In 2002 a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) and the Liberation Tigers of the Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which set the terms and conditions of an indefinite ceasefire. This article looks at the donor policy of providing development assistance to the war affected areas in support of the peace process. This policy is in line with the current trend in international humanitarian assistance, where assistance is provided that attempts not only to address the humanitarian need, but to go further, addressing the root causes of the conflict. The article looks at the Sri Lankan District of Mannar, situated in the north-west of the country. Mannar has felt the full brunt of the island's war, with total destruction of the district's infrastructure, mass displacement and loss of life. The front-line bisects Mannar, with the north of the district administered by the LTTE and the south, by the GoSL. This article looks at the impact of donor assistance in the Mannar District and how it links to peace and the Sri Lankan peace process, and finds that assistance has helped to maintain support for the peaceful settlement of the conflict, despite the precariousness of Sri Lanka's peace process.