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In Brief
This information bulletin no. 02 (no. 01 issued 4th may 2006) is being issued for information only, and reflects the status of the situation and information available at this time. The Federation is not seeking funding or other assistance from donors for this operation at this time.
The Situation
Thousands of people remain displaced by the violence that began in mid-April in Trincomalee district in the north east of Sri Lanka (see map on page 3). The number of internally displaced people (IDPs) across the district continues to fluctuate but aaccording to information gathered by the Government, the UN and other NGOs, the estimated number of IDPs on 18th May amounts to approximately 9,039 families (32,081 people). While the influx of IDPs has been slightly decreasing in Town and Gravets division, numbers have been rising in Eachchilampattai and Muttur divisions, reflecting an overall increase in movement of people to areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Not all those who have fled have been registered, most notably in the LTTE controlled areas of Muttur where population movements have fluctuated and access is difficult owing to heightened tensions and insecurity. Most IDPs are temporarily lodged with relatives or at schools and places of worship. Many families have sought refuge in jungle areas and have not been accounted for in the final numbers.
The government and the UN, together with local and international organisations, have established coordination mechanisms in a bid to ensure the humanitarian response is appropriate and timely. The governor of Muttur has established two groups comprised of government representatives to assist the displaced and has pledged to provide rations of food items for IDP's in Muttur (LTTE controlled area), Eachchilampattai and Town and Gravets. While distributions seem to have started in some areas, there are still delays reported in many other areas. NGOs and other organisations are supplementing this effort with food, non-food relief items and water.
Some IDPs also fear traveling to the NGO Multi Purpose Corporative Society (MPCS) since they have to cross areas of conflict. The IASC1 (Inter-Agency Standing Committee) Country Team in Sri Lanka has stated that the food situation remains serious and has been advocating with the Government Agent (district secretary) to facilitate transportation of food items to vulnerable populations.
According to a report by a group of NGO's, efforts are being made to reopen clinics and hospitals in Muttur and Eachchilampattai but the lack of staff and transport due to tension has delayed implementation of this process. Safe drinking water and sanitation are still a problem and need immediate attention.
The violence in the eastern Trincomalee district has also resulted in over 4000 people moving across to the western coastal town of Mannar in a bid to travel to India across the narrow strip of sea that separates the two countries. At present, many of these IDP's are temporarily based in a church as well as with relatives or friends. Offices of three NGOs engaged in post-tsunami reconstruction and peace activities in Muttur, Trincomalee were attacked with hand bombs on the 21st of May 2006, injuring three people. In addition, the government has imposed restrictions on the transport of construction material such as cement bags, steel rods, bricks, and timber to LTTE controlled areas. Prior permission for transport of construction material has to be sought from the Ministry of Defence.
For further information specifically related to this operation please contact:
- In Sri Lanka: Mr. Susil Perera, Executive Director-Disaster Management, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, tel: +94 77 3600971
- In Sri Lanka: Al Panico, Head of Operations, Sri Lanka Delegation , al.panico@ifrc.org, tel: +94 11 4528698, fax: +94 11 2682671
- In Geneva: Suzana Harfield, Regional officer - Sri Lanka and the Maldives, Asia Pacific department, suzana.harfield@ifrc.org, tel.: Tel. +41 22 730 43 53, fax: +41 22 733 03 95
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