OCHA Situation Report
Sri Lanka
2 - 8 September 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Overall Situation

A new 700 meter bridge over Arugam Bay and new vocational schools funded 
by the United States is to benefit thousands in the tsunami-devastated 
East. USAID awarded a contract worth US$ 33 million for a program of 
large-scale infrastructure. The contract for the Tsunami Reconstruction 
Program (TRP) was signed on Wednesday with CH2M Hill International of 
Englewood, Colorado.  The firm will be responsible for the overall 
management of the infrastructure program. The three-part construction 
package will be implemented through various subcontractors, including at 
least five Sri Lankan firms. First, USAID will construct a new bridge 
over Arugam Bay using the latest design technology, improve water and 
sanitation facilities in the surrounding Pottuvil area and consult with 
communities on tourism development. A vocational education component 
will rehabilitate up to 14 vocational education facilities including two 
"model schools" as well as provide equipment for the new schools and 
technical assistance on curriculum design. Finally, a Coastal Management 
Component will work closely with communities to rebuild and upgrade 
fisheries at Hikkaduwa, Mirissa and Dondra and develop Coastal Zone 
management through improved community participation.

UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery Eric Schwartz who was in the 
country from 2 through 6 September toured tsunami battered Galle and 
Matara in the south and met with government officials including the 
president, officials at TAFREN, UN, civil society and the business 
community. Meanwhile at the request of the Secretary-General, UN Special 
Envoy Lakhdar Brahimi arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday and just completed 
a four day visit.  He held consultations with government officials as 
well as a broad spectrum of people in the country.

Coordination and common services

In the reporting period IOM trucks were dispatched 150 times which 
included 102 transports of medicines and medical equipment from Colombo 
Medical Supplies Division and Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) 
to warehouses in Colombo and to tsunami-affected areas throughout the 
country for the Ministry of Health, 13 transports of cement and water 
tanks to Ampara, plywood to Batticaloa and plastic basins, furniture and 
hygiene packs to Trincomalee for UNHCR, 26 trucks transported boats to 
Trincomalee and Ampara and cement to Hambantota for CARE International, 
six trucks carried cement to Matara for the Task Force for Rebuilding 
the Nation (TAFREN) and three lorries transported paddy to Batticaloa 
for Action Contre La Faim. IOM currently maintains a fleet of 83 
vehicles. IOM is also providing logistical support and transportation 
for a large timber shipment donated by OXFAM Australia. The timber, 
which is used for constructing transitional and permanent housing, is 
transported to tsunami-affected areas throughout the country on behalf 
of other agencies.

Health

The 23rd Meeting of Ministers of Health of the Countries of the WHO 
South-East Asia Region and the 58th Session of the Regional Committee 
for South-East Asia was inaugurated in Colombo with a call for greater 
commitment and resources for health development.

On 16 August, 25 young people took part in a workshop on alcohol and 
substance abuse held in the community centre at Soodaikudha transitional 
housing site in Trincomalee district and IOM also conducted an initial 
session of educational activities and games at the Naduthivu 
transitional housing site in Trincomalee district. The session was 
attended by 25 children and a pre-school teacher and will be repeated 
twice a week for the next few months.

IOM held mental health workshops in Batticaloa (15-17 August), 
Trincomalee (19 - 21 August) and Ampara (29 - 30 August) with the aim of 
strengthening services for tsunami- affected populations.

Water and sanitation

Construction of 45 toilets by Save the Children is in progress in Jaffna 
and they have completed the cleaning of three wells for drinking water 
in Akkaraipattu.

Non-food items and shelter

Save the Children in Sri Lanka distributed 206 hygienic kits to 
separated children in Sri Lanka and handed over 100 temporary shelters 
to beneficiaries in 3 divisions in Ampara district while work on 104 
shelters in Trincomalee is in progress

With funding from Japan, ECHO, Greece and China, IOM has now completed 
transitional homes for 3,447 families in seven tsunami-affected 
districts which are designed to last between two to four years. During 
the reporting period IOM completed 290 transitional houses--- 26 and 2 
in Gampaha and Kalutara respectively in the Western Province and 160,45 
and 57 in Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee in the East while 518 
transitional shelters are under construction. IOM's offices on the east 
coast are preparing for the upcoming monsoon season. In Ampara district, 
IOM is in the process of decommissioning the remaining IOM-supported 
emergency camps and moving people into transitional houses capable of 
withstanding the elements. Improvements to drainage systems are ongoing 
at numerous housing sites. IOM is leading discussions with other 
agencies working in the district to encourage dialogue on how to 
adequately prepare for the monsoon. Discussions centre on upgrading 
shelters, drainage work and possible contingency plans.

Education

Save the Children has started construction work on one Pre School in 
Akkaraipattu and initiated a series of sports meets in Nithiyaveddai and 
Vettilaikerny in Vadamarachchi East which are supposed to go on for 17 
days in different transition camps in Kilinochchi. They also provided 
nine million rupees for rapid learning programmes in Batticaloa and 
purchased 42 bicycles to be distributed to "Catch Up" education teachers 
in the district. They further donated play material to five pre schools 
in Ampara while four temporary pre school buildings were completed and 
gave 1295 children in 37 pre schools in Ampara nutritional food. A 
partner organization of Save the Children in Killinochchi purchased 
chairs, tables, cupboards and mats for seven temporary pre schools under 
construction in Killinochchi.

Save the Children in Sri Lanka also held discussions with the principals 
of 12 schools in Trincomalee to provide small grants to strengthen 
School Development Societies and two discussions took place in Jaffna to 
look into the possibility of providing small grants.

Save the Children in Sri Lanka is carrying out a survey in Jaffna on 
special needs of children where 50 volunteers will collect data in 714 
pre schools during a period of two months.

Livelihoods

Save the Children in Sri Lanka distributed 41 sewing machines to 
tsunami-affected women in Matara on 24 August and has since distributed 
141 sewing machines to women so far. Sewing-training centres were opened 
on IOM transitional housing sites in Kalutara (7) and Colombo (1) 
districts. The centres were designed to develop the technical skills of 
professional seamstresses and tailors, but they are also open to all 
residents who wish to improve their sewing skills or use the machines 
for personal purposes, To date IOM has established a total of 37 sewing 
centres in transitional communities in six tsunami-affected districts.

In the last two weeks of August, IOM started livelihood projects with 
193 tsunami-affected people in five districts. People were provided with 
various tools and materials to help them regain sustainable incomes. 
Assistance was provided to individuals working in a wide range of 
fields, including 30 tailors and seamstresses, 19 mobile fish vendors, 
14 poultry farmers, 11 goat rearers and 11 black smiths. With funding 
from ECHO, USAID and Greece, IOM has to date directly assisted 1,423 
families to rebuild their livelihoods. In addition, a considerable 
number of tsunami-affected people are benefiting from training 
programmes implemented or financially supported by IOM, and through 
capacity building support provided to local institutions. In the latter 
weeks of August, 40 livelihood beneficiaries in Matara district were 
given business development and entrepreneurship training, as well as 
occupational safety training. In Batticaloa district, 38 livelihood 
beneficiaries engaged in goat rearing were provided with scientific 
training on all aspects of goat husbandry in order to improve their 
businesses. IOM, in cooperation with the Department of Technical 
Education and Training, commenced 20-day training programmes to upgrade 
the skills of 14 carpenters, 16 electricians and 12 welders in Kalutara 
district. A 20-day training course for 15 pre-school teachers is also 
being conducted. In Ampara district IOM in partnership with Al-Ameen 
Community Development Centre will assist approximately 250 people to 
rebuild sustainable incomes. On 31 August, IOM held a workshop for 120 
tsunami-affected young people residing in IOM transitional housing. The 
workshop included information on vocational training, while local 
business experts discussing job and career opportunities. The workshops 
also included information on counter-trafficking, safe migration and 
HIV/AIDS.

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