OCHA Situation Report
Sri Lanka
27 May - 2 June 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Overall Situation

The number of tsunami-affected IDPs has remained relatively constant 
over the last few weeks, according to UNICEF. As of 25 May, the number 
living in camps and hosted with friends and relatives stood at 499,783. 
The largest numbers of IDPs are recorded in Galle with 120,828 and 
Ampara with 100,012.

Main challenges and response

On 17 May, a displaced 15 year-old boy from a Thirrukovial IDP camp in 
Ampara died from burns he sustained when a mosquito net in which he had 
wrapped himself accidentally caught fire. Such mosquito nets are highly 
flammable. The tragic incident highlighted the prevalence of potential 
fire hazards in camps and transitional shelters. In the aftermath of the 
child's death, UNICEF, in coordination with other agencies and 
government officials, is exploring ways to inform and educate regarding 
potential fire hazards and safety measures that can be taken in the 
camps. UNICEF's Early Childhood Programme in Colombo is helping

formulate key messages regarding accident prevention and increase 
awareness and promote safety in camps. In addition, potentially 
flammable items such as mosquito nets and lanterns will be delivered 
with fire hazard warnings attached.

Coordination and common services

Planning and preparations are ongoing for a Lessons Learned Tsunami 
Workshop to be held on 8 and 9 June with participants from national and 
local government, NGOs, bilateral donors and International 
Organisations. The Sri Lankan exercise is a precursor to a regional 
exercise taking place in Medan, Indonesia on 13 to 14 June.

Health

In Ampara district, psycho-social programmes have been on-going in 
IOM-supported camps. From 19 to 22 May, four shows were put on by a Sri 
Lankan traveling puppet workshop and theatre group and from18 to 23 May, 
six acrobatic workshops and exhibitions were held. Some 1,400 children, 
adults from the tsunami-affected population and neighboring communities 
attended the events.

IOM supported and organized a three-day Psychosocial 
Training-of-Trainers course in Colombo, with a local NGO, Sahanaya, for 
ten Sewalanka workers and seven workers from the Sri Lankan Bureau of 
Foreign Affairs. It also funded and organized a two-day psycho-social 
training course for 35 field workers and community leaders in Ampara. In 
addition, IOM is developing HIV/AIDS message playing cards that will be 
available for distribution among tsunami-affected populations and aim to 
increase community awareness of HIV/AIDS.

Five-thousand mosquito nets were handed over to the Deputy Director of 
Health Services in Ampara by UNICEF to support the Anti-Malaria 
Campaign. Another 5,400 nets were provided to the Health Sevice in 
Jaffna district. An increase in mosquito-borne diseases is likely due to 
the seasonal North East monsoon rains.

IOM Sri Lanka is implementing an Eye Care Health Pilot Project in 
collaboration with the Ophthalmologic College of Sri Lanka. The Project 
seeks to improve the provision of eye health care services including 
cataract surgery to both tsunami-affected populations and host 
communities in tsunami-affected areas. Additionally, 90 Ophthalmologic 
nurses selected from six tsunami-affected districts (Hambantota, Galle, 
Matara, Ampara, Trincomalee and Batticaloa) attended a one-day training 
workshop on 29 May at the Colombo Eye Hospital to develop their skills 
on how to handle, maintain and sterilize surgical equipment and assist 
cataract surgery. The Eye Health Care Project expects to directly 
benefit 77,000 beneficiaries of which 7,700 will be children.

Non-food items and shelter

Planning for permanent houses in all 17 relocation sites in the 
Batticaloa District is underway. According to the Kachcheri, all sites 
have now been "claimed" by one or another reconstruction agency. 
However, various steps need to be undertaken prior to the commencement 
of construction and these could be time-consuming.

As of 16 May 2005, the Damage Assessment Team (DAT) which is composed of 
division and local level representatives, as well as a technical expert 
and donor representative) had inspected 11,292 of 13,987 fully or 
partially damaged houses outside the buffer zone in Batticaloa district. 
A total of 6,333 assessments have been completed with compensation 
payments authorized. Some protests against DAT assessment decision have 
been held in the district in the last few weeks. According to some 
representatives of agencies involved in the reconstruction efforts, many 
tsunami-survivors whose homes were damaged or destroyed are not 
sufficiently informed about the criteria for awarding compensation 
payments or about the channels for expressing grievance.

In some areas hard-hit by the tsunami, school children have only one set 
of clothes apart from the school uniforms they have been provided. In 
response to this problem, UNICEF is distributed clothing to 149 boys and 
114 girls in Mullaitivu RCTMS school, to 116 boys and 100 girls in 
Kallapadu school and to 100 girls and 100 boys at Kallaru School.

Education

Work has commenced by UNICEF on the construction of 195 semi-permanent 
classrooms in Kalmunai and Akkaraipattu zones. In addition, 99 class 
rooms are being constructed in all six education zones of Ampara. In 
Galle education zone, the construction work of two semi-permanent school 
buildings funded by UNICEF is nearing completion.

The New Easter Bus Company began a bus service on June 1 to transport 
children residing in IDP camps at Mandanai and Sakalakalai Amman Temple 
to and from school. UNICEF is supporting the bus service through its 
Education Office in Akkaraiapttu. Approximately 200-300 children will 
benefit initially from this service.

Livelihoods

As of the end of May, 770 families have received IOM livelihood 
assistance. Of these, 301 families were identified as single-headed 
households or otherwise extremely vulnerable and were assisted as part 
of IOM's Counter Trafficking Programme.

The Chamber of Commerce in Batticaloa district has established a help 
desk to assist tsunami-affected people obtain bank loans and other types 
of assistance. The Chamber of Commerce is also planning to provide 
grants of Rs 10,000- 25,000 for tsunami-affected people to start up 
businesses.

Protection

The Sri Lankan Department of Probation, Save the Children, UNICEF and 
the Mangrove have been collaborating on the provision of care and 
protection for over 630 children who have lost both parents and 1,416 
children who have lost one parent. A model is now being discussed to 
provide care to these children beyond their legal entitlements. One of 
the major concerns that have emerged is entitlement to compensation and 
land rights of those children who have lost both their parents in the 
tsunami. Moreover, the majority of them are particularly disadvantaged 
in that they do not have legal representation to claim for their rights.

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