OCHA Situation Report
Sri Lanka
25 - 31 May 2006


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

Overall Situation

As of 31 May a total of 159 humanitarian projects in Ampara and 470 
projects in Trincomalee have been disrupted in one way or another, of 
which 159 projects and 321 projects respectively are tsunami related. In 
Batticaloa 47 out of a total of 986 projects are not fully operational 
and including seven tsunami related projects.

In Killinochchi out of 653 projects, from 12 INGOs and 10 UN agencies 
two ongoing projects have temporarily halted and the commencement of two 
new projects has been postponed as per the to the W3 database and field 
investigation undertaken by OCHA Killinochchi 23-25 May. The Council of 
NGOs in Killinochchi highlighted that agencies should not become a 
magnet for IDPs who would not otherwise have left their homes. This was 
in order to find a balance between providing for most vulnerable. The 
Council of NGOs intends to work closely with the Government Agent, UN 
and INGOs and is keen to establish common standards in emergency shelter 
etc in light of recent displacements. World Vision reports of NFI 
distribution to 500 families in Alapiddy in Jaffna which witnessed a 
massacre a few weeks back.

On May 20 there was a mini cyclone in Vinayagampuram, Thirukkovil 
Division Ampara district which resulted in the displacement of 15 
families. The Government Agent along with DS of this division responded 
immediately and the affected families were given accommodation and 
cooked meals for three days. World Vision, IOM, Oxfam GB, ZOA and UNICEF 
assisted further.

The Meteorology Department has asked inhabitants of the Southern coast 
to stay vigilant during the coming weeks as southwest monsoons could 
trigger floods, landslides and mud slides. High winds and roughening of 
sea is also expected in these areas. Moderate flooding occurred in five 
GN divisions of Balapitiya on 23 May due to the overflowing of "Madu" 
river. Forty-seven families living alongside the river have been 
affected and the situation has been assessed by the Disaster Management 
Center and the Sri Lankan Red Cross has provided non food relief items 
to these families.

Main challenges and response

A finance company in Ampara district has delivered boats to IDPs without 
consulting the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Department. Officials are 
looking in to the matter.

The 37 Care and Maintenance Site Managers for Batticaloa have not been 
paid since March. The Reconstruction and Development Authority is 
calling for monetary assistance to settle the manner.

Food security

WFP has handed over food for all displaced persons in Trincomalee 
district for one month to the Government Agent of Trincomalee. It is now 
in the hands of the Trincomalee Government Agent to release these stocks 
to the affected persons.

Health

People displaced to Eachchilampattai in Trincomalee district are 
potentially at risk of snake bites and one girl is reported to have died 
of a snake bite in Punniyadi in Eachchilampattai. UNICEF was 
instrumental is securing a medical doctor for the closest hospital in 
Eachchilampattai which is not fully operational.

In Batticaloa district there is fear of an outbreak of hepatitis due the 
poor water quality in Kattankudi DS Division. Currently 25 such cases 
have been reported to the Deputy Provincial of Director of Health 
Services (DPDHS). As a preventive measure the DPDHS is to implement 
micro analysis mechanisms in their new laboratory on a regular basis.

IOM continues to hold hygiene promotion workshops in Ampara district. To 
date, the workshops have been held for over a 1,000 tsunami-affected 
people living in the district generating positive remarks from 
participants. Follow-up workshops, and specially designed workshops for 
school children have also begun in some areas.

Water and sanitation

The two dumping sites in Ampara district which did not have proper 
access roads were repaired with the help of DSs in Sammanturai and 
Navithanveli while IOM and Goal are to repair this sub standard road and 
build the culvert. Meanwhile since the phasing-out of water trucking in 
the district, some INGOs have started issuing water points at the 
household and community level.

Non-food items and shelter

The Ampara District Secretary assured that payments will be made 
available to private land owners still housing transitional shelter 
sites on their land. There are some areas where solutions can be found 
and tsunami displaced families can be shifted relocated, returned to 
their previous land. However the Wesley College site in Kalmunai is one 
such site without such a solution.

Education

The Advance Level examination (prerequisite for entry to University in 
Sri Lanka) conducted by the Government commenced 22 May and is reported 
to be going well with minimal disturbances. The LTTE declared a 
ceasefire from the start of this examination until its final day on 15 
June.

The second tsunami-affected school to be renovated by the Norwegian 
Refugee Council (NRC) was officially handed over to Sri Lankan 
Educational authorities in Kinniya, Trincomalee recently. Meanwhile, 
foundation stones were laid for 40 new school buildings for 14 
tsunami-affected schools in the districts of Trincomalee, Batticaloa, 
Ampara and Hambantota. Construction work is now in progress at eight 
schools in Batticaloa, three in Trincomalee, two in Ampara and one in 
Hambantota.

Livelihoods

IOM conducted participatory rural appraisals (PRAs) and participatory 
needs appraisals (PNAs) in the districts of Kalutara and Matara. The 
appraisals in both districts highlighted the need for constructing 
access roads and to improve existing infrastructure (and the 
Lunukalapuwa lagoon in Matara), thus creating favorable environment for 
the fishing communities and other similar trades in the area. IOM will 
look to facilitating these needs for both populations. Following similar 
appraisals in Ampara district, work progresses for the construction of a 
fisherman storing and resting hall in Thambaddai division.

In a joint effort RADA Livelihoods Unit, the Back to Business Programme 
of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of Sri Lanka (FCCISL), the ILO 
Income Recovery Technical Assistance Programme (IRTAP) and the ILO 
JobsNet conducted a mobile "Back to Business Week" from the 22nd to the 
26th May in the four tsunami-affected Divisions of Tangalle, 
Ambalantota, Tissa and Hambantota in Hambantota district. Apart from 317 
jobseekers, RADA Livelihood officers registered 713 persons with pending 
livelihood issues, of which 81 per cent are fisheries related; 6 per 
cent agriculture, 2 per cent manufacture and trade and 12 per cent 
others.

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