OCHA Situation Report
Sri Lanka
11 - 17 May 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Overall Situation

A revised Tsunami Housing Policy prepared by the Reconstruction and
Development Agency (RADA) in consultation with key stakeholders has been
circulated and supersedes all previous circulars in this regard. RADA is
to monitor the implementation of each Tsunami Housing Project and report
progress to the President of Sri Lanka.

To coincide with UN Habitat's pledge to build 6000 houses in the
home-owner driven programme, UN Habitat has stepped up to take on the
lead agency role for Permanent Housing from IOM in Ampara district. It
was clearly conveyed by the District Secretary that before the new
housing policy can be implemented he beneficiaries' lists must be
finalized. And before a beneficiary list can be finalized the new policy
has to be shared with the beneficiaries and they be given the option to
choose out of four government housing schemes, which is as follows:

1) Government Land + Donor-built house under the Donor-Driven Housing
Programme (an already existing scheme) primarily for all those who lived
within the previous buffer zone)

2) Government land + Government Cash Grant (250,000 Sri Lankan rupees)
to construct a new house + Regulated Donor Assistance provided to
complete the houses (not less that 250,000 Sri Lankan rupees depending
on costs to meet the Minimum Standard House) in a co-financing
agreement.

3) Government cash grant (150,000 Sri Lankan rupees) to purchase land +
Government cash grant (250,000 Sri Lankan rupees) to construct a House +
Regulated Donor Assistance provided to complete (not less than 250,000
rupees depending on costs to meet the Minimum Standard House) in a
con-financing agreement.

4) Housing Reconstruction Grant (250,000 rupees for Fully Damaged homes
and 100,000 rupees for Partially Damaged homes) + Regulated Donor
Assistance provided to complete only for Fully Damaged houses as
required to meet Minimum Standard House, in a co-financing agreement.

It was raised as a concern that the Government Cash Grant for
beneficiaries to purchase land freely in Option 3 could lead to a
disturbance in the land market price if it is not regulated earlier on
with a land appraisal system. Agencies are aware of the need for a
Public Information Campaign on housing options for beneficiaries as a
necessary first step to implement the new policy successfully, bearing
in mind that it is the objective of the government to complete all
housing needs by the end of 2006. The District Secretariat has responded
positively and discussions on an appropriate information campaign led by
OCHA, with IOM, UN Habitat, Oxfam GB, UNICEF and World Vision is to
convene. Also stated in the new housing policy is that beneficiaries are
permitted to move across district borders, pool entitlements from
various family members to construct larger houses in larger plots of
land.

Main challenges and response

OCHA Killinochchi reports that there are shortages of petrol, kerosene,
diesel and cement in public markets, thus restricting activity of
agencies. In Killinochchi the construction of permanent houses continues
slowly with stoppages due to lack of fuel and limits on cement allowed
across borders. Meanwhile the LTTE Planning and Development Secretariat
is increasing standards for building design and agencies working in the
area need a consolidated view on the matter. OCHA Killinochchi has also
identified the need to carry out a public information campaign for flood
protection and upgrading of cadjun roofs in some areas.

Coordination and common services

In Batticaloa district, OCHA together with UNHCR have set up an IDP
coordination forum, the aims of which are to assist the Government in
protecting conflict displaced persons in the district, ensure
displacement is not encouraged/ dependency is not fostered and ensure
appropriate assistance is provided without duplication. OCHA Batticaloa
compiled a stock take report with the available stock of UN and INGOs in
order to assist the area focal points to find the capable UN/NGO for
required stock.

In Killinochchi district warden systems are being re-written and tested
by the UN and INGOs. Agencies are keen to improve the sharing of
security information while mapping is required for Killinochchi district
as follows.

   - IDP previous locations and potential camps
   - Flooding in the past
   - Contingency plans and locations
   - Transitional Shelter Site Tracking
   - Agency locations (being done with WFP staff)

Nearly 20,000 people will benefit from a new U.S.-supported program to
upgrade 4,000 transitional shelters in need of care and maintenance and
help improve conditions in shelter communities built after the tsunami.
A US$ 1 million grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) will help pay for a comprehensive care and maintenance program
to assure these temporary homes continue to meet the basic shelter
standards established after the tsunami.  According to a recent
assessment, 40 percent of transitional shelters are in need of upgrades.
The project will be implemented by the International Organization for
Migration (IOM) at the request of the Sri Lankan government's
Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA).  USAID funded the
construction of nearly 10,000 transitional shelters, mostly in the
Matara and Ampara districts. Improvements to water and sanitation
facilities in the communities will include construction of new toilets
and showers, drainage systems, wells and other water supply systems,
maintenance of water and sanitation facilities, management of human and
solid waste disposal, and training on hygiene and technical aspects of
water and sanitation maintenance.

Health

IOM eye-camps continue to be held in tsunami-affected areas. To date,
camps have been completed in the districts of Matara and Kalutara and
around 30,000 people have benefited from the health services provided.
In addition to ophthalmologic services, camps in Kalutara also provided
health care services such as audiological screenings (and provision of
hearing aids), dental screenings and general medial checkups. Health
education workshops were also conducted informing beneficiaries about
communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS and dengue. Meanwhile sixty
banners were provided to the Deputy Provincial Director of Health
Services for national dengue control week to be used in processions of
school children throughout the district.

As previously reported, in Kalmunai Division Ampara district land
allocated for the construction of a hospital is been shared by two other
groups on permanent housing and construction of a school building. The
issue has to be resolved for construction to commence.

Water and sanitation

IOM water and sanitation activities in Ampara district include the
construction of 74 new toilets while another 64 are under construction.

Non-food items and shelter

Thirteen permanent houses were handed over to beneficiaries in Pinkanda,
Hikkaduwa who were living outside the buffer zone. The houses were
constructed by a German organization called Wermelskirchen-hilft.e.v.

Education

UNICEF selected 30 schools in Ampara district to implement the Child
Friendly School programme where 15 schools were given clothes/stationary
and sports equipment recently. These 15 schools were the first to
receive such equipment under the Child Friendly programme.

An ILO partner, Kinniya Vision has completed the construction of a child
friendly community center to provide rehabilitation and recreation needs
for children in Faizal Nagar Division, Trincomalee district.

Livelihoods

FAO facilitated by RADA is continuing their pilot study oversupply of
fishing equipment in Ampara district, the key objective of which is to
identify tsunami-affected fishermen, who have not yet received
assistance, and to identify and verify beneficiaries provided with
non-seaworthy boats. The second phase of the study will consider
appropriate solutions.

Farmers in Poonakery in Killinochchi district are not planting for the
Yala rice season as they are concerned there will be fighting, however
fishing is continuing.

Sri Lanka's Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA), in
collaboration with ILO last week launched the first Divisoinal
Livelihood Development Plan (DLDP) in Habaraduwa in Galle district.
Thirty five more DLDPs are also to be launched in the other
tsunami-affected districts. The DLDP, which was finalized after
assessing the needs of tsunami-affected villagers of Habaraduwa, is
likely to make a significant impact on the long term development of this
area once implemented.

FAO completed an agriculture training session last week, for 2,275
farmers in Ampara district. The session focused on improved
land-preparation techniques, fertilizer application and water
management. This training session forms part of FAO's
agriculture-training programme being implemented in nine affected
districts for vulnerable farmers that received seeds, tools and
fertilizer to resume farming activities.

An outboard engine service and repair facility centre supported by the
German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) was inaugurated in Dodanduwa, Galle
District on 11 May. It caters for about 350 boats with three to four
fishermen working on each boat (approximately 1,200 families) in an area
where access to appropriate servicing facility is extremely limited.

To date IOM has assisted more than 6,000 tsunami-affected persons in six
districts through the establishment of direct livelihood projects,
vocational and business training (conducted in collaboration with 14 NGO
and CBO partners),and community based projects based on information
gathered through participatory needs assessments. IOM recently signed a
MoU to provide support to one of the worst affected communities in
Matara DS, Thotamuna. An MoU for the training of 30 beneficiaries in
outboard motor repair in Ampara district through the College of
Fisheries and Nautical Engineering has been signed and the two-month
training will begin next week.

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