OCHA Situation Report
Sri Lanka: Tsunami
Post-Tsunami Update for November/December 2005
15 December 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

One Year On

On this first anniversary of the tsunami we step back and take another 
look at where we stand. Mired in figures all year, measuring our success 
in hundreds and thousands of shelters constructed, houses built, boats 
and nets distributed and livelihoods restored, it is easy to loose sight 
of the small achievements being accomplished daily on an individual 
basis.

In this Post-Tsunami Update we meet the communities of ordinary and 
extraordinary people who bore the brunt of this tragedy. They endured 
immeasurable losses but they are not victims. Men, women and children, 
many already shattered through years of conflict and blighted a second 
time by another force are succeeding in turning their lives around and 
moving forward.

Like the dedicated hardworking women lantern makers in the coastal 
villages who have bonded together to bring light to all of us as a 
reminder of lives lost and lives regained.

Or 15 year old T. Lavan who through his own images and words speaks of 
his feelings with courage beyond his years. And the school children 
influencing their homes and villages through drama. Or the residents of 
temporary shelters eager and proud enough to plant trees and flowers to 
have better homes and gardens. Whether it is the lagoon cleaners in the 
south, the fearful fishermen along the coast brave enough to go to sea, 
they all live out their daily lives with a conviction to survive.

These are the everyday small pictures of a reality so clearly captured 
by Sri Lankan children through the national art competition. Their 
message is simple. Their communities will be rebuilt as the young artist 
has so vividly portrayed above.

It is all of You we remember and celebrate on this the first anniversary 
of the tsunami.

Miguel Bermeo UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Sri Lanka

One Year after the Tsunami:

Where we are?

One year after the tsunami all parties involved in the recovery effort 
wonder how much progress has been achieved. In order to respond to that 
question, more than 60 institutions and 100 experts from the government, 
civil society and development partners undertook a joint assessment of 
the situation and identified the way forward for 2006. The result is a 
report titled "Post Tsunami Recovery and Reconstruction Progress, 
Challenges, Way Forward". The report outlines numerous challenges and 
successes.

Thanks to a quick combined and complex response by all national and 
international actors, the country recorded no additional deaths because 
of tsunami related diseases. The emergency response can be considered a 
success story. Immediate repairs of basic infrastructure were made. 
Emergency shelter was provided to those in need and food aid delivered 
to 910,000 people (until October). Numerous initiatives were undertaken 
to protect and prevent the vulnerable from being subject to abuse and 
violence.

The recovery process is making progress, but more effort should be made 
to ensure that no-one is left behind. Progress today means firstly that 
funding has been secured and the international community has firmly 
committed US$ 2.1 billion, out of which US$ 0.6 billion has been 
disbursed. However, some gaps across sectors and districts remain.

Second, 54,000 transitional shelters have been completed allowing 
internally-displaced persons (IDPs) to move out of tents. 
Simultaneously, two permanent housing programmes for around 100,000 
families were also introduced. The main challenge is to ensure that as 
we move forward nobody is left behind.

Third, families were assisted through a combination of cash grants (over 
250,000 households), cash for work, microfinance programmes (more than 
13,000 subsidized loans have been disbursed), training and asset 
replacement (e.g. about 90% of all boats destroyed have been repaired or 
replaced). The economy has started to recover and is poised to register 
5.6 per cent in 2005 whilst the tourism and fisheries sectors are yet to 
fully recover. However, restoring livelihoods requires a more sustained 
and an improved coordinated effort, in order to match supply of 
assistance and remaining needs.

Fourth, over 95% of school-aged children in tsunami-affected areas have 
returned to school. While in health and education, funds have been 
provided for the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and social 
services have been largely restored, only a low percentage of facilities 
(around 10%) have been fully repaired or rebuilt. Progress on planning 
of physical infrastructure has certainly been made but limitations 
remain in terms of the national construction capacity as well as the 
cost of construction material.

Finally, progress on other qualitative aspects of the process, such as 
gender and environmental concerns, consultation, transparency and 
accountability is uneven, while equity and communication issues clearly 
deserve particular attention.

Every affected family should know what their future is as soon as 
possible. The report paves the way to resolve outstanding issues and 
follow up on the impact of the relief and recovery effort on the tsunami 
survivors.

'In Loving Memory' a nation wide commemorative event'

There is a light in all of us...we just need to share it. This is the 
belief of Sarvodaya and its Women's Movement; hence a nationwide project 
named 'In Loving Memory' will commemorate the first year anniversary of 
the tsunami.

The project aims to create a ring of light around the entire coastline 
of Sri Lanka at 7 pm on 26 December 2005 and so unite all citizens, 
NGO's and overseas visitors in commemorating the loss of thirty five 
thousand lives in the tsunami. It is an event conceived to embrace all 
religious and ethnic beliefs.

A minimum of forty thousand luminary lanterns in respect of each life 
lost are being handmade by the women survivors in the coastal villages 
supported by Sarvodaya Women's Movement and distributed free of charge 
to the bereaved. The project is compatible with the Movement's urgency 
to provide psycho- social support as well as empower tsunami-affected 
women through skills development and livelihood support.

The lanterns are made of simple materials. A craft paper bag, silk 
screened with the message 'In Loving Memory' in three languages with a 
space for the family to write the name of the departed loved one and a 
final sentiment of ' We remember and we care'. Sarvodaya requests 
individuals and families to light their lanterns on the seashore at 7 pm 
in unison with others. They could also organize a community lantern 
lighting ceremony in their neighbourhood or spend a few minutes in 
meditation in the privacy of their homes.

Sarvodaya hopes to sell at least eight thousand lanterns priced at one 
hundred rupees each to cover the cost of a minimum of thirty two 
thousand lanterns for free distribution to the bereaved. Sarvodaya 
invites all to share their own personal light on this day.


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