OCHA Situation Report
Sri Lanka
16 - 22 June 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Overall Situation

In Killinochchi the majority of public, private and humanitarian 
construction has stopped due to government regulations on cement, 
gravel, iron etc being allowed across the lines into LTTE controlled 
area. Agencies have applied for the permit but the process is cumbersome 
and long, and not possible for local NGOs. Furthermore the ban on cement 
and steel has put many daily laborers out of work as construction has 
ceased. This is affecting families with no alternative source of income.

Coordination and common services

The planned village-based community planning meetings of the 
Community-based Training for Economic Empowerment (CB-TREE) Project 
commenced 20 June in the Kalmunai (Tamil) Division. The meeting was 
chaired by the Divisional Secretary and around 50 community members, 
mostly women, participated. All together 12 new enterprise project ideas 
were identified and three of them are to be developed as training 
proposals.

As of 30 June 2006 the IOM Transport Programme currently under 
implementation will conclude. Over the past 18 months IOM has provided 
transport assistance to government agencies, UN agencies, I/NGOs and 
other actors involved in the tsunami recovery process and other 
humanitarian work. Funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid 
Department (ECHO) and the government of Japan, the service has provided 
support to numerous aid agencies and ultimately tsunami and/or conflict 
affected individuals and communities throughout the country.

Food security

WFP has dispatched 9,676 metric tonnes of food under the Protracted 
Relief and Recovery Operation, including tsunami assistance since 1 
January 2006.

Government food supplies which are used in WFP Mother and Child 
nutrition programmes, school feeding and food for work and training are 
consistently delayed in delivery to the Vanni. Only 15 out of 100 MT of 
Corn Soya Blend has arrived, which was due to arrive in April. The 
rejected the stock of Wheat flour as it has been fumigated and not 
sieved (there are no sieving facilities in the Vanni).

Health

WHO had been working with the Ministry of Health in Matara and Jaffna 
training Public Health Inspectors (PHI) and Site managers in monitoring 
the pubic health aspects of the tsunami transitional shelter sites. WHO 
has been actively working with the Ministry of Health, Reconstruction 
and Development Agency (RADA), and other government agencies, civil 
society, and UN agencies on the Tsunami Recovery Impact Assessment 
Monitoring System (TRIAMS) on collecting indicator data related to the 
health of the tsunami-affected population.

Sixty-five Health volunteers were appointed by the government out of 250 
volunteers for Mullaitivu District while over 100 volunteers are 
required

Water and sanitation

UNDP and Brandix Lanka Limited, the single largest apparel export 
company based in Sri Lanka, signed recently two cost-share agreements 
worth over US $ 23,000. These funds will be utilized in the water and 
sanitation sector in post-tsunami recovery and reconstruction. The funds 
raised by these two cost-sharing agreements would benefit 
tsunami-affected communities in Kattankudi in the Eastern Province and 
Lunawa Moratuwa in the Western Province.

Non-food items and shelter

OCHA Killinochchi reports that in Mulankavil 34 temporary shelters 
costing 10,000 rupees per shelter were built and 47 shelters re-thatched 
for IDPS by the Tamil Rehabilitation Organisation.

Education

The Italian Cooperation with the Italian NGO Alisei, opened the Maha 
Vishnu Vidyalaya, in Pandirippu in Kalmunai Ampara, which was completely 
destroyed by the tsunami. The fully equipped schools were designed by a 
team of Italian architects and includes nine classrooms, a multi-purpose 
room, library and toy room. Meanwhile the first brick was laid for the 
New Kali Kovil Center comprising 20 houses, a community hall and common 
areas.

The Mullaitivu Roman Catholic Mixed Schools have planned to build a 
school on the current tsunami transitional site in Unnappulavu 
(Mullaitivu district) which houses are 250 families. The school will be 
built by UNOPS, for UNICEF. Caritas is to provide provide 25,000 rupees 
per family to shift them from this site to a close alternative site 
until permanent houses are ready.

Livelihoods

OCHA Killinochchi reports that Solidar is assisting 68 families to weave 
cadjan (for the roof) in Soranpattu and Tharmakkerny in Palay division.

Protection

In Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu, UNICEF is supporting children living 
without their primary care givers, disabled children and children with 
disabled parents, ensuring registration of children's homes and advocacy 
support for to get fit persons. UNICEF is also doing community-based 
psycho-social interventions, mainly in the formation and managing of 
child-friendly spaces where children have access to meaningful 
recreational activities.

The Working Women's Development Foundation is providing support spaces 
for children, youth and women of ten villages in Kilinochchi and eight 
villages in Mullaitivu. The project aims to increase the knowledge of 
parents and children leading to the improvement of conditions for the 
welfare of the children of through positive activities.

On 22 June UNICEF in Sri Lanka called for immediate action to halt the 
abduction and forced recruitment of children by the Karuna group. Over 
the past week, the agency has verified reports of thirty cases in 
Batticaloa district. Reports of abduction and forced recruitment of boys 
under the age of 18 from the area have increased since March of this 
year. Reports from the field suggest that in the past week there have 
been abductions and forced recruitment of children in the areas of 
Santhiveli, Kiran, Mankerni, Valachchenai and Iruthayapuram (Manmunai 
North).

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