OCHA Situation Report
Sri Lanka
16 - 22 December 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Overall Situation

The Government will launch a report for the one year mark of the tsunami
"Post-Tsunami recovery and Reconstruction: progress, challenges and way
forward.

The Report has been jointly prepared by the government, donor community
and civil society following a comprehensive consultation process. The
report describes what happened, what has been achieved and what remains
to be accomplished. The report also presents a way forward.

The European Commission Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) has announced
an additional E313.4 million to help victims of the tsunami. In Sri Lanka
alone, E35.5 million will be going towards further assistance to tsunami
stricken populations. Already, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid
department has funded E323.7 million worth of projects in Sri Lanka.

Main challenges and response

Sudden heavy rain in the evenings caused flash floods in some
transitional shelters during the reporting period 10-16 December in the
areas of Hiththatiya Raja Mahaviharaya and Kithulewela in Matara
Division and at the Senanayake Ground in Welligama Division. The Sri
Lankan Red Cross has pledged to prepare a proper drainage system at
Senanayake Ground Camp, Weligama.

Food security

With regards to Vulnerable Group Feeding program, most MPCS (Multi
Purpose Cooperative Societies) have released the first month
distribution, and WFP is trying to release the next two months
distribution together before the end of December in order for the
recipients to obtain their food ration in advance for three months in
the Southern province.

Health

Medical agency Merlin completed the first month of their Oral Health
campaign for adolescent and youth conducted with support from the
Kalmunai Regional Dental Surgeon; to date, 410 students have
participated. Merlin and the Kalmunai Deputy Provincial Director of
Health Services (DPDHS) conducted a Hospital Waste Management and
Infection Control Program for selected hospital directors and infection
control nurses in 18 hospitals in the Kalmunai DPDHS area; the program
was supported by the Medical Superintendent and his team. This program
builds upon a week-long Infection Control Program conducted for 155
selected doctors, nurses and minor staff from Batticaloa Teaching
Hospital.

This week Merlin conducted their Health and Hygiene Train-the-Trainer
programme for 55 participates from camps in Kattankudy and Aryampathy,
Batticaloa; to date 902 hygiene volunteers have been trained in
Batticaloa and Ampara.

OCHA Hambantota reported that around 75 migrant birds (Gillbliton Turn)
were found dead in the general area of the Hambantota saltern last week.
The GA and health authorities were informed investigations into the
matter are on going.

In Galle District, five tsunami affected Gramodaya Health Centers
together with an office of medical officers, have been renovated by the
Italian NGO CISP Solin, and provision of medical equipment and
furniture, with funding from the Italian Civil Protection Unit was
handed over to the health authorities recently.

Water and sanitation

In Galle, World Vision was to pull out of water bowser operations on
December 31 2005 but will continue their water bowser operations at
least till the end of February 2006.

The newly operational sewage treatment plant in Hikkaduwa which is a
collaboration between AusAid-funded Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) and the
Water Board will be used to dispose sewage from Transitional Shelter
sites. However a letter of approval is needed by the Water Board and a
request letter signed by the NGO/ INGO members of the Water & Sanitation
sector working group has been forwarded to the General Manager of Water
Board, as initiated by UNICEF.

Non-food items and shelter

The Transitional Shelter Site Tracking for Hambantota is complete. It
includes a total of 30 transitional shelter sites including smaller
clusters of five or less, and individual settlements, with 17 sites in
the Tangalle Division. The TSST in Hambantota is a collaboration between
TAP and OCHA/HIC with UNICEF, Sewa Lanka, GOAL, CARE International,
World Vision, Oxfam GB and the International Federation of Red Cross and
Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Education

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will open the first of
eighty-five U.S.-designed playgrounds in Galle on 26 December at 4 p.m.
in Dharmapalla Park which is jointly sponsored by the American Jewish
Joint District Committee with Sarvodhya as the implementing partner.

Livelihoods

ILO organized three workshops on gender for Livelihood Development
Officers and Women Development Officers during November and December
where 65 female and 27 male officers were trained to conceptualise and
apply gender concepts to suitable livelihood recovery programmes for
tsunami-affected communities.

FAO and the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (MFAR)
distributed six motorcycles to six fisheries cooperative societies in
Galle on December 12 as part of a project funded by the Italian Civil
Protection Department which will provide 35 such motorcycles to 35
different fisheries cooperative societies. The motorcycles will support
the ability of the cooperative societies to market their produce.

FAO presented the joint FAO/MFAR master plan for the replacement and
rehabilitation of fisheries infrastructure at the monthly joint FAO/MFAR
coordination meeting on December 13.

A planning workshop for an FAO Fisheries Sector Livelihoods Training
Programme took place on Wednesday 14 December at the FAO Emergency and
Rehabilitation Coordination Unit (ERCU). The objective of the workshop
was to make a detailed action plan for FAO's Livelihoods Training
Programme for Fisheries Sector in all tsunami-affected districts which
would benefit around 6,500 persons.

An FAO salinity expert completed a mission this week which monitored
salinity in tsunami-affected paddy fields. FAO salinity expert developed
strategies to reclaim lands adversely affected by salinity via data
collected. Carried out with funds channeled through OCHA, the aim is to
strengthen the national capacity in identifying and monitoring
agricultural related salinity problems and to enable the development of
strategies to manage and/or prevent salinity problems.

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