SILVER SPRING, Md. —While Sri Lanka's decades long civil war appears to have come to a sudden end, an ongoing humanitarian crisis is expected to worsen in overcrowded camps holding thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) unless unfettered access is given to aid organizations, said the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA).
To mitigate the humanitarian impact among the displaced civilian population, ADRA is preparing to conduct water trucking and distribute hygiene kits to IDPs in the affected region. ADRA plans to provide this assistance through partnerships with the Adventist International School in Vavuniya and local non-governmental organizations.
"ADRA is well-positioned to provide the assistance that is so desperately needed," said Millie Castillo, public relations and communications officer for ADRA Sri Lanka.
ADRA is the only humanitarian agency in Sri Lanka that owns and operates a drilling rig for borehole drilling, and has extensive experience in several water and sanitation activities, including water tank installation, hand pumps, hand dug wells, water disinfection units and water trucking.
"We have the resources and our equipment is ready. We are just waiting for the door to open," continued Castillo.
An estimated 280,000 people were forced to flee their homes during the recent fighting that rocked the South Asian nation, with 230,000 currently living in IDP camps and 50,000 in transition, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
"The Government of Sri Lanka is facing great challenges in providing assistance to the internally displaced population," said UNHCR spokesperson Ron Redmond at a recent press briefing, citing overcrowding and limited resources as two of the most urgent concerns.
"Efforts are being hampered by the sheer numbers of IDPs, the speed at which they have been arriving, and the limited space available to accommodate them," added Redmond.
On May 8, UNHCR reported that approximately 54,000 IDPs were residing in Zone 2 of the Manik Farms IDP Camp in Vavuniya District, while the maximum capacity of the camp was only 35,000. In Zone 3, there were 38,000 IDPs in residence, while their maximum capacity was an estimated 26,000.
Updates will be released as response efforts expand.
To send your contribution to ADRA's Refugee and Displaced Person Fund, please contact ADRA at 1.800.424.ADRA (2372) or give online at www.adra.org.
ADRA is a non-governmental organization present in 125 countries providing sustainable community development and disaster relief without regard to political or religious association, age, gender, race or ethnicity.
For more information, visit www.adra.org.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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