OCHA Situation Report
Sri Lanka
7 - 12 April 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Overall Situation

In a statement released today the UN Resident/Humanitarian Co-ordinator 
in Sri Lanka deplored the latest spate of violence which has claimed the 
lives of a number of Sri Lankans including two humanitarian aid workers. 
A third humanitarian aid worker - this time a British national and her 
family - sustained injuries in Tuesday's incident in Trincomalee 
district. The statement further said that such acts potentially threaten 
humanitarian operations in the most vulnerable areas affected by the 
tsunami and the conflict. Meanwhile the United States in a press release 
condemned in the strongest possible terms the recent terrorist attacks 
carried out by the LTTE against the armed forces of Sri Lanka.

Humanitarian agencies operating in Sri Lanka have raised concerns over 
their safety and are to put forward a report to the parties involved in 
the peace negotiations next week, outlining there concerns and the three 
point report will be handed over next week.

Sri Lanka received on 7 April a 70 million euro credit line from the 
European Investment Bank to rebuild- small and medium-sized industries 
affected by the tsunami. The loan covers all nine districts hit by the 
tsunami, financing projects such as infrastructure, tourism, energy and 
telecommunications related sectors.

The Government Agent for Ampara announced on 7 April that a decision has 
been made to devolve power of authority to all Government Agents in 
expediting and implementing programmes on post-tsunami recovery, 
including the signing of MoUs for housing construction. All matters 
regarding housing can be decided and signed off at the district level 
and it is no longer necessary to get approval from the national level.

UNICEF reported on a meeting that took place in Kanchirankuda in 
Thirukkovil Division, Ampara district on 10 April where the LTTE had 
summoned national female staff of INGOs and local NGOs (no UN agencies 
reported). This meeting was held to warn female Tamil aid workers 
against consorting with the international humanitarian community. OCHA 
Ampara reports that the tone of the meeting was that of a moral/cultural 
lesson. A meeting was organized by the Consortium of Humanitarian 
Agencies in Ampara on 10 April and was attended by several NGO's and 
international organizations to discuss these accusations against NGOs.

A leaflet issued in Tamil language on Wednesday, 5 April, warned 
national women staff of NGOs to leave their employment by a deadline of 
15 April. The leaflet refers to sexual abuse, abortions, and immoral 
activities with foreign men. The leaflet encouraged all to stop working 
for NGOs and was signed off as "Affected women and Women' Revolution 
Army of Tamil Elam (Batticaloa/ Ampara).

In Trincomalee a shelter meeting was arranged by UNOCHA and held 6 
April. The number of participating agencies has increased significantly. 
At the meeting, a concern regarding permanent housing was raised.  When 
a house is built on government land, the owners cannot sell the land or 
the house within ten years. However, the houses constructed on private 
land for tsunami-affected beneficiaries have no such binding on them. 
Some agencies are discussing with lawyers on how they can rectify this 
problem.

Shelter agencies and donors of permanent housing will meet to discuss 
lists of beneficiaries.  The aim is to find who is not eligible for 
permanent housing according to Government criteria and how these people 
can be included in some other system.

The Capacity Development for Recovery Programme (CADREP) and the 
Netherlands Red Cross has completed the decommissioning assessment in 
Hambantota district.

The Director of the Internal Displacement Division, Dennis McNamara and 
Hannah Entwisle were in Sri Lanka 6-7 April on a fact finding mission. 
CRD Deputy Joel Boutroue was also in Sri Lanka 9-11 April to take stock 
of the on-going implementation of the OCHA exit stratergy, context and 
agenda of both tsunami and conflict related matters and various aspects 
of the OCHA presence throughout 2006 and thereafter.

Main challenges and response

UN HABITAT is working with ten poor urban communities in Kilinochchi 
through Community Development Councils. They are making available two 
million rupees for small scale infrastructure and development projects. 
A sum of 750,000 rupees has been allocated for community halls. However 
the LTTE's Planning and Development Secretariat (PDS) standards for 
community halls is a minimum of 1.1 million rupees. UN HABITAT is now 
negotiating on the matter with the PDS. OCHA Killinochchi reports that 
there is no disaster management plan or procedures for Kilinochchi or 
Mullaitivu and of no known on going work to prevent flooding the next 
monsoon.

Coordination and common services

ILO's second pilot project in Pandiruppu village in Kalmunai Ampara was 
initiated recently and the first meeting with the members of the Housing 
Reconstruction and Development Society of the village was conducted with 
the participation of government livelihood development officers. At this 
meeting, the core principles of the community fund were explained and 
committees on assessment and collection and field audit & penalty 
enforcement were appointed. Training on the fund management to the 
members of the committees was started and will be continued as a series.

UNCEF and UNOPS engaged in an assessment in Tangalle, Hambantota 
district on 6 April in order to find out infrastructure needs with 
regard to the multi-million rupee water project that provides drinking 
water in Tangalle.

Non-food items and shelter

CARE International has started producing hydro-form cement blocks for 
the permanent house construction in Palchenai, Puchchakerny and 
Kathiravelly in Vaharai Division Batticaloa.

The monthly permanent housing meeting in Ampara district was held on 6 
April, which was well attended by over 40 participants including all 
Divisional Secretaries from tsunami-affected divisions (except Kalmunai 
Tamil). The meeting aimed to clarify the over-pledges and under-pledges 
of the Donor Driven Housing Programme.

CARE International handed over five cement block making machine to 15 
beneficiaries from Iranaikerny,Veloor, Iqbalnagar Thamaraikulam and 
Nilaveli in Kuchchaveli DS division, Trincomalee. These 15 beneficiaries 
underwent training on the operation and production of cement blocks on 
the 28 of March in Kinniya. The beneficiaries of Kinniya who have 
already received training from ASM (Association for Social Mobilization) 
some time ago, trained the beneficiaries of Kuchchaveli.

Thirty permanent houses constructed by Jinasena Corporation (Loadstar) 
were handed over to the beneficiaries of Habaraduwa, Galle district 
recently.

Livelihoods

In Killinochchi FAO's pre-tsunami European Commission Humanitarian Aid 
Office (ECHO) funded projects are ongoing with a new tranche starting in 
July. Looking much at post-harvest technology - eg. getting to Jaffna 
markets perishable, high value, produce while still fresh. The ECHO 
commitment is to livelihood coordination, and getting local NGOs 
involved in FAO projects.

The Chamber of Commerce and Industries of Trincomalee District recently 
declared open a small industries project making rice flour-based food 
items in Potkerni in Thampalakamam DS division, Trincomalee. The project 
is funded by Mercy Corps at a cost of one million rupees. This is a 
self-generating project for about thirty war-affected women. The 
beneficiaries working in the project were taken to Killinochchi and 
given an eight-day food related training. The Bank of Ceylon has agreed 
to provide three-year soft loan to beneficiaries to develop the 
industry.

In Trincomalee UNDP has funded the construction of a fisheries sales 
outlet, a community center and administration building for the 
Vickneswara Fisheries Cooperative Society. UNDP also funded the 
construction of a multipurpose community center for Sally Malai Magal 
Fisheries Cooperative Society.

The short term skills development training program for tsunami-affected 
semi skilled beneficiaries is still on going in Galle district. The 
program is supported by the International Federation of the Red Cross 
and is implemented by the Vocational Training Authority (VTA). Three 
training courses with 575 trainees have been completed so far while 
another four courses are to be completed by end April where a daily 
allowance of 400 rupees (four US dollars) was paid to all trainees.

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