ACT Situation Report
Sri Lanka
Update on ACT assistance to conflict IDPs
Geneva, 14 May 2009
As of 7th May, UNOCHA reports 196,044 persons recently displaced by the ongoing conflict in northern Sri Lanka are accommodated in 12 IDP camps in Jaffna, 27 in Vavuniya, 1 in Mannar, and 3 in Trincomalee. A primary concern of ACT international continues to be the protection and care for civilians still caught in the fighting between both sides or now accommodated in the camps.
New IDPs from the combat zone have been without adequate food, clothing and hygiene. They are often injured and distressed by their experiences and by the separation of their family members. The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sri Lanka has said that 'Around a quarter of under 5 year olds in the camps are undernourished, and they need immediate help. Tens of thousands more civilians are expected to come from the remaining zone`.
Appeal Funding Status- US $855,024 raised to date
The ACT Appeal issued on April 22nd for 1.1 million dollars (US) includes projects of Christian Aid (with partner OfERR) and Norwegian Church Aid (with partner Sarvodaya). Funding is slow and of concern given the urgency of assistance. As of today, US $855,024 has been raised for proposed assistance under the ACT appeal.
Appeal revision pending
The ACT Coordinating Office expects to issue a revised appeal by the beginning of next week to include further proposed crisis assistance by ACT members the National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL) and Lutheran World Relief (LWR). It is expected that this will more than double the current appeal funding target. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) will also be submitting an appeal proposal next week.
Christian Aid
CA's emergency response is ongoing, working through support to three local implementing partners: OfERR is working in Mannar, Trincomalee (Pulmoddai) and Vavuniya; SOND and TRRO are working in Jaffna. Christian Aid's response is partly brought under the ACT appeal, and partly outside it.
Under the ACT appeal (LKA091), CA/OfERR is already providing cooked food and complementary food to 10,000 individuals, shelter, water and sanitation to 100 families, education for 750 school children and health support for children under 5 and to pregnant and lactating mothers, with Finnchurchaid funding. OfERR has also delivered non-food relief items to 2,500 families and 1,000 children in Vavuniya and Mannar with DCA/Danida in-kind material aid contributions.
Outside the appeal, CA is also providing non-food relief items to 3,716 IDPs in Jaffna, with funding contributed by JOAC (Jersey government). In addition, it has raised funds from its constituencies for:
a. OfERR supporting the resettlement of number of families in Mannar, emergency response to 3,000 families in Vavuniya in zone 2 Menik Farm and 1,000 families in Pulmoddai in Trincomalee for shelter, water and sanitation;
b. SOND responding to NFRI and supplementary food needs of 1000 families staying in Kodikkamam Thirunaavukarasu MV, Charva Hindu college, Kaithady Palmara B, Kaithady Hindu Children home
c. TRRO supporting NFRI and supplementary food needs to 1000 families staying in Charva Hindu Ladies College, Kaithady University Hostel, GTMS school at Koddikamam, Mesalai VeerasingamMV
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)
NCA has now secured NOK 3,000,000 (US $465,320) from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for assistance to IDPs in 4 camps in Vavuniya and Jaffna districts as proposed under the ACT appeal. This includes basic minimum needs in terms of nutrition and immediate personal hygiene and grooming for 7,500 IDPs in 4 IDP Camps. Supplementary nutrition will be provided for 500 especially vulnerable IDPs and 1,500 IDP households will receive basic household items. IDP protection and gender issues will be addressed as part of all emergency interventions.
National Christian Council of Sri Lanka (NCCSL)
NCCSL has submitted a proposal to the ACT Coordinating Office for inclusion under the appeal, currently under discussion. This includes urgent supplementary food assistance and non-food relief items to Vanni IDPs in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mannar working with their implementing constituent members- National Council of YMCAs of Sri Lanka, the Methodist Church of Sri Lanka, and the Church of Ceylon Diocese of Colombo.
Lutheran World Relief
The LWR team visited Vavuniya- Manic farm camp,Poovarasankulam hospital,Periya Komarasankulam Maha Vidyalayam and Puthukkulam camp last 1st,2nd and 3rd May/09 to see the situation of IDPs directly. They attended a meeting organized by the District secretariat where about 49 persons participated from different INGOs and NGOs who have access to the Camps. In addition, the food committee meeting to discuss food distribution and Milk distribution. GOSL asked that NGOs should discontinue cooked food distribution and start community kitchens. And that support is needed to start individual cooking in Manic farm zone 2, & 3. Individual cooking already started at Manic Farm Zone-1 with the help of WFP and there is no need for cooked food distribution.
LWR-Partners (SEED and FOSDO) have been selected in zone 2 & zone 3 to provide immediate assistance to start community kitchens, NFRI distribution and children education support which is a very urgent need. They intend to visit this camp again at the end of this month.
LWR also proposes implementation of a capacity building initiative to assist partners using the Sphere/HAP standards for humanitarian response. Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan has agreed to second 2 Sphere/HAP Capacity Support Officers for three months based in the LWR Colombo office. This could be an opportunity for all ACT members and their implementing partners.
United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR)
With funding from USAID/OFDA, UMCOR is assisting in the current emergency through the provision of sub-grants to NGOs that are providing humanitarian relief in the areas of emergency shelter, WATSAN, livelihoods and protection in the Eastern and Northern Provinces. A total of 17 international and national partners are being supported by UMCOR to assist some 144,478 persons with their immediate needs. In addition to this, UMCOR is providing direct assistance to IDPs in Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Mannar through the provision of supplementary food, NFIs/hygiene kits, emergency shelter, and WATSAN. UMCOR has purchased materials to construct 700 emergency shelters in Vavuniya or Mannar as soon as a plot is allocated. In addition, 22,000 "emergency kits" comprising a bottle of water, glucose, and biscuits were distributed to newly arriving IDPs in Omanthai and Vavuniya. UMCOR has also purchased 3,000 NFI kits including 1,500 baby kits and 1,500 hygiene kits. Distribution of these items is ongoing in Vavuniya.
UMCOR intends to submit a project proposal to the CO next week for inclusion under the ACT appeal.
DKH (Diakonie Katastropnenhilfe, Germany)
DKH is providing assistance in Vavuniya and Mannar Districts through local partner CTF (Community Trust Fund). DKH have received funding from the Federal German Foreign Office for emergency assistance in 5 different camps (Kovilkulam Hindhu College/Vavuniya, Tamil MV Vavuniya Secondary, Tamil MV Vavuniya Primary, Saivapiragasa MV/Vavuniya, Achchankulam/Mannar). With this support the DKH partner is delivering supplementary food for children, for pregnant/sick and elder people, further food items for a total of 1200 families, infant kits, drinking water, NFIs (cooking utensils, hygienic kits and others). Furthermore they are providing health care services (12 mobile clinics) and psychosocial assistance. DKH/CTF report the need to scale up assistance further, including provision of temporary shelter and toilets.
Note: DKH are not included under the ACT appeal as they do not have direct in-country presence.
Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org).
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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.
The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
An internally displaced woman, fleeing military operations in Buner, holds her baby as they wait at a makeshift clinic at a UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) camp in Takht ...
