ReliefWeb

KILINOCHCHI & MULLAITIVU DISTRICTS

Situation update

Omanthai and Uyilankulam (Forward Defence Line) FDLs were temporarily closed 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23 May due to security incidents. The ICRC on 23 May temporarily withdrew its employees from Omanthai and Uyilankulam crossing points (lines) due to security concerns.

Out of the 600,000 liters of kerosene allocated for May, a total of 64,350 liters were transported up to last week to Kilinochchi by Multi-Purpose Cooperative Societies.

Internally Displaced Persons

The district secretariat of Kilinochchi reports that during the course of the last three weeks, 173 families (411 individuals) were registered as displaced in Kilinochchi district.

Sector Response

Shelter

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) reports that 400 temporary shelters out of a committed 500 have been constructed in Kilinochchi district so far while DRC has made a new commitment of 60 temporary shelters.

Sewa Lanka Foundation (SLF), funded by ECHO, has constructed 850 temporary shelters out of a committed 950 at various locations in Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts since April 2007. Work is ongoing at the remaining 100 shelters.

ZOA distributed 27 temporary shelter material to those displaced from villages in Vavuniya and Mannar, who are now settled in the Mankulam and Mulankavil areas (Mullaitivu district).

Education

UNICEF last week conducted an assessment in five schools in Manthai East division [Mullaitivu district] to identify urgent needs of displaced children while distributing school stationeries and other essential materials to 235 displaced students enrolled at five schools in Vavuniya North and uncleared areas of Mannar. UNICEF also provided 42 blackboards to four schools in the Kilinochchi Zone

NFRIs

ICRC distributed NFRIs to 275 displaced families in the Periyamadu area (Manthai west-Mannar district) during the last two weeks.

UNICEF distributed the standard family pack of NFRIs to 46 recently displaced families in Pandiyankulam - Manthai East division (Mullaitivu) on 15 May.

Food

Sewa Lanka Foundation (SLF) distributed 720 supplementary food packages to the IDPs settled in the Visuamadu and Udayarkaddu areas in Mullaitivu district over the last two weeks. Nearly 8,000 food packages have been distributed during April-May to IDPs in both districts.

Health

UNICEF facilitated a hygiene awareness programme in four schools of Manthai East division in Mullaitivu district on 15 May. UNICEF also distributed hygiene kits to 397 IDPs children from these schools.

Watsan

36 temporary toilets were constructed by UNICEF through its implementing partner SOLIDAR for 144 families settled in IDP temporary settlements in Kandawalai division.

Livelihood

ICRC provided agriculture tools to 277 IDPs living at the Gobi and Mankai IDP settlement (Kilinochchi) and provided 300 displaced families in Mullaitivu with seedlings, last week.

Mine Action

21 staff working for international agencies based in Kilinochchi benefited through a Mine Risk Education and Safety training conducted by UNICEF 10-11 May.

Manual and mechanical mine clearance work of NPA (Norwegian People Aid) is ongoing. A NPA/MRE (Mine Risk Education) team visited Pannankandy to raise mine risk awareness among people.

VAVUNIYA AND MANNAR DISTRICT

Situation update

Situation remains tense in both districts.

The GA office reports 15,986 IDPs in Mannar as of 17 May and 8,205 IDPs in Vavuniya as of 24 May.

Sector Response

NFRI

UNHCR - Mannar office distributed 176 NFRI packages to the Jeevothayam and Kalimootaipuliyankulam welfare center in the uncleared area of Nanattan DS division (Mannar district) and 52 packages were given to IDPs/ returnees.

Watsan

CARE assisted to construct 16 toilets in the villages of Keeri, Thottavely and Sinnakarisal of Mannar division in Mannar district.

ZOA constructed 13 toilets for relocated/ host families in Mannar town division.

Protection

On 17 May, UNHCR and its partner HRC conducted a human rights awareness program for selected relocated families in Thaddankulam in Vavuniya district.

Livelihood

Oxfam supported the opening of a milk collection centre at Bharathipuram in Vavuniya DS division where cattle farmers from 10 villages will supply milk. Oxfam also donated a three wheeler to the center.

Health and Nutrition

The Sri Lanka Red Cross Society is currently conducting an assessment in Vavuniya north to determine locations in which to hold mobile clinics

Food and Food security

An HRC report concluded that the prices of goods are considerably higher in cooperative shops than in the outside market in Vavuniya. This report has been submitted to the GA-Vavuniya.

CARE has provided assistance in home gardening, potted agriculture, drip irrigation, goat shed and inland fishing under its food security program for 22 villages in Mannar and Nanattan division in Mannar district targeting 462 families.

WFP transported 34.5 MT of rice, 13.7 MT of wheat flour, 5.79 MT of dhal, 2.9 MT of sugar to Mannar district.

Shelter

On 16 May, UNHCR held a Go & See visit to the Kalmadhu relocation village. Ninety families from the Ponthoddam welfare center will be relocated to this location.

ZOA supported the construction of four temporary shelters and seven semi-permanent shelters in Mannar DS Division.

Capacity building

ZOA supported the construction of a training centre for the Mannar Women Development Foundation organization in Mannar district.

TRINCOMALEE DISTRICT

Internally Displaced Persons

The DS of Eachchilampattai contacted IDP families from Verugal both in the Kiliveddy Transit Sites (47 families) and in Batticaloa (about 300 families) regarding the possibility of a return in the beginning of June. CARE recently interviewed a number of IDPs from Eachchilampattai who favour a direct return to their places of origin rather than through the Kiliveddy transit sites. The IDPs also requested authorities for Go & See visits.

UNHCR reports that the IDP population now in the Kiliveddy transit sites is around 1,250 families while spontaneous arrivals continue.

Food

IDPs in Kinniya have not yet received their food entitlement since the authorities announced their plans to return the IDPs to Ralkuly.

World Vision and ZOA will fill gaps in IDP food distribution.

Shelter

OXFAM set up a water treatment plant for the Kiliveddy transit sites and is waiting for an electricity supply for it.

Health

Kiliveddy hospital received seven cases of dysentery and ten cases of diarrhea this week while 15 cases of diarrhea were reported last week. The DPDHS is concerned about the lack of coordination in hygiene promotion activities and sanitary kit distributions in the transit sites and has asked for a meeting to be held in this regard.

Education

UNICEF is distributing seven school in a box kits and 2,000 upper primary kits to IDP students.

WatSan

In the IDP sites in Muttur, ASM has constructed 12 collapsible toilets provided by UNICEF while work on 28 toilets is ongoing at the Kiliveddy transit sites.

VOVCOD has constructed 12 semi-permanent toilets in Kiliveddy where Oxfam and ZOA continue water bowsering.

CARE, ZOA and LEADS are supporting the returnee population with well cleaning activities.

Agriculture and Food Security

FAO conducted a three-day residential Micro-irrigation training programme in Kandy last week for 16 persons from the Department of Agriculture and Education.

Mine Action

De-mining in Eachchilampattai is being carried out by different groups including SLA. The Danish De-mining Group continues to work in Poonagar.

BATTICALOA DISTRICT

Situation update

Situation remains tense.

Dialog, Mobitel GSM and CDMA phone services remain suspended since 06 March.

Internally Displaced Persons

According to Government statistics as of 20 May, the total registered IDP population in the district is 32,453 families (121,622 individuals).

Resettlement to Vellavelly (Poraitivu Pattu) DS Division in Batticaloa West continued throughout the reporting period. As of 21 May, 6,040 families (19,336 individuals) had returned to 24 GN Divisions. Resettlement to Vellavelly DS Division is completed by 24 May as scheduled, with resettlement to Paddipalai (Manmunai South West) and Vavunatheevu (Manmunai West) scheduled to begin on 01 and 15 June respectively.

An inter-agency mission consisting of UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA and UN DSS visited a number of the return locations in Vellavelly on 18 May 2007 to assess conditions in areas of return. The preliminary findings report was distributed to sectors and donors.

Sector Response

Shelter

WatSan and Shelter agencies are working together with District Secretaries to coordinate the consolidation of camp locations following the resettlement process towards west Batticaloa.

In Puthukudiyiruppu in Arayampathy division, 534 temporary shelters were planed by IOM, out of which 280 shelters are complete and the balance 254 shelters are under construction. To date, 80 families have occupied these completed shelters.

JRS has completed the construction of three semi-permanent shelters while 49 are under construction in Palchenai in Vaharai division.

Food

The major need in resettled villages like Vaharai and Vellavely is food. The Government has plans to provide one month's dry rations to IDPs resettled in West Batticaloa.

Arche noVa has distributed complementary food to 137 families for two weeks in Kokkuvil III camp in Manmunai North division.

On 17, 20 & 22 May, JRS distributed complementary food to 379 families in four IDP camps in Kaluwanchikudy, Arayampathy and Manmunai North division camps.

Wat/San

Garbage collection, gully sucking, and water bowsering operations are on-going by the local government and NGOs. Gaps have been reported in the provision of these services. The WatSan Coordination Group, UNICEF and NRC camp management team have introduced a tracking sheet for monitoring the delivery of these services at the camp level.

Arche noVa constructed seven latrine-type tube-wells with hand-pumps in Palameenmadu V camp in Manmunai North division and five emergency tube-wells in Kirankulam new camp in Arayampathy division.

Thirty 1,000 liter capacity plastic water tanks provided by UNICEF & World Vision have been deployed to 12 communities in Vellavely resettled area.

ACLG reports that 4,657 wells are available in the 43 GN divisions of Vellavely division. The PS team has been cleaning common & private wells using 8 water pumps provided by NWSDB, UNICEF, and ACLG. ACLG reports that 564 wells have been cleaned in 12 villages 14-17 May.

UNICEF provided 3 diesel driven pumps, 20 1000 liter capacity water tanks, taps, wheel barrows, and clean-up kits to ACLG for use by Pradesha Saba (PS), Vellavely for the resettlement activities in that division.

UNICEF provided 120 units of emergency portable toilets to ACTED and IRD for installation at temporary camp locations.

OXFAM GB, Arche noVa/UNICEF, World Vision, ZOA, Solidarities/UNICEF bowsered over 600,000 liters of water per day to sites in the district last week.

NFRI/ Hygiene Kit

On 22 May, IOM distributed 980 bars of soap. On 18 & 21 May, IOM distributed 21 pregnant mother kits in three welfare centres in Manmunai North division. Eight families received hygiene kits. 17-22 May, 106 kitchen utensil kits were distributed to IDPs with host families and 16 kitchen utensil kits distributed at welfare centres in Manmunai North division by IOM.

Save the Children distributed 434 family NFRI packs to IDPs with host families in 15 GN divisions in Kaluwachikudy division. A total of 400 water pots and 434 hygiene packs, kitchen utensils, bed sheets, sarongs, plastic mats and towels were included in the pack.

UNICEF distributed 284 Family Emergency Kits to IDPs staying with host families in Aryampathy division.

Protection, Psychosocial & Camp Management

17-22 May, IOM organised 08 sessions of fire drill and safety training and 2 sessions of community discussion training were conducted in Chenkalady, Arayampathy and Kaluwanchikudy divisions where 1,049 IDPs benefited from these training programmes.

Save the Children funded a Disaster Risk Reduction Awareness programme to children at 8 IDP camps in Manmunai North benefiting 330 children.

UNICEF supported a joint Mine Risk Education (MRE) Awareness Raising Team (Sarvodaya, CTF, White Pigeon, Trincomalee Kachcheri) to visit Vaharai and complete MRE activities for returned IDPs.

Education

Three schools remain closed as they are still being used as IDP camps. The number of schools closed in places of origin has reduced to 32 as 16 schools opened in Vellavely on 21 May.

On 22 May, JRS distributed biscuits to 250 school going children in Saththurukondan 4 & 5 camps in Manmunai North division.

A total of 1,050 educational kits were distributed to school going displaced children in 14 schools in the Paddiruppu and Batticaloa zones and 595 pairs of shoes to school going displaced children in seven schools in Batticlao zone during the course of the week.

Save the Children, in coordination with the Zonal Education Department, completed the construction of one temporary educational structure at Kovilkulam Vinayahar Vidyalayam in Arayampathy division. The structure has been handed over to the school authorities to accommodate the displaced children to continue their education.

Save the Children distributed 750 early childhood education children kits and 64 early childhood education teachers' kits through Sarvodaya to 35 emergency early childhood care and development centres in Manmunai North, Arayampathy and Chenkalady divisions.

UNICEF distributed 17 school in a box kits and 5,873 exercise books to schools in Vaharai

Health & Hygiene

The Merlin deployed two Mobile Medical Clinics in Arayampathy and Manmunai North divisions have treated 1,168 direct beneficiaries and have benefiting the entire camp populations of 8,899 persons. The most common diagnoses were fever, acute respiratory infections and gastro-intestinal infections.

Merlin trained six Ampara Teaching Hospital personnel in infection control practices and provided refresher training to 39 Public Health Midwives.

Merlin deployed dental therapists to four schools in Arayampathy, Manmunai North and Kaluwanchikudy divisions where 419 children were screened, 139 treated, and 27 referred.

On 17 & 18 May, 27 teachers from Pattiruppu educational zone were trained in first aid, 26 students were trained in Health/Hygiene promotion and teachers from 3 schools were trained on health / hygiene awareness by Merlin.

30 students were educated in proper hand washing techniques in Kottaikallaru Maha vidyalayam in Kaluwanchikudy division, 44 students and 2 teachers were educated in safe water and purification methods and basic first aid in Kinniyady Saraswathy vidyalayam in Valachchenai division and 60 students were educated in environment hygiene and food safety at Abdul Kather School in Chenkalady division. Oral Hygiene awareness talks were also conducted in three schools for 419 students by Merlin.

On 18 & 19 May, a Communicable Diseases Training program was organized by Merlin for 46 participants from over 20 agencies.

Arche noVa conducted a two-day training workshop about modern ways of hygiene promotion for IDPs in Manmunai North division.

On 22 May, IOM conducted hygiene promotion trainings in Sittandy in Chenkalady division benefiting 161 individuals.

Transport

IOM provided seven trucks to UNICEF, UNOPS and Oxfam Australia to transport NFRIs, food, shelter items and watsan items in Manmunai North, Kaluwanchikudy and Vaharai divisions.

AMPARA DISTRICT

Situation Update

The situation remains tense.

Internally Displaced Persons

UNHCR reports a slightly decreased trend in displacement and as of 18 May there were 11,702 persons in 3,012 families displaced in the district. Some families in Kalmunai Tamil and Nintavur have returned to their place of origin in Batticaloa.

UNHCR at a meeting with the GA on 18 May discussed issues of repatriation of IDPs and protection concerns. The GA stated that the Government is concentrating on Vellavelly west Batticaloa from where most IDPs are believed to be displaced to Ampara. The transportation for the IDPs will be arranged by the Ampara district secretariat up to Mandur which is bordering Batticaloa, from where the Batticaloa Government administration will take over the IDPs safe travel back to their place of origin.

The Presidential Secretariat is now in the process of registering IDPs for the resettlement process and all members of IDP families have been issued with ID cards after having their photograph taken.

Sector Response

Food

The Ministry of Nation building & Estate Infrastructure Development has approved the dry ration supply to 225 IDP families (792 individuals) living in welfare centres in the district for the month of May. WFP Colombo is negotiating with the respective Ministry to get approval to distribute the dry rations to IDPs staying with host families.

NFRI

ICRC/ IFRC distributed NFRI packages to 65 IDP families in Alayadivembu. ZOA continue to assist IDP populations that are not likely to in the near future.

Shelter/Care and Maintenance

IOM together with the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) and Oxfam GB carried out an assessment on IDP shelter needs where 69 IDP families were identified for possible shelter assistance. With the onset of returns shelter actors have stopped shelter assistance and are observing IDP movements and the resettlement process by the Government. NRC has suspended its cash assistance for IDP shelter needs in Alayadivembu where they have assisted 97 families out of 141 families with 21,500 rupees each.

ZOA continues with its semi-permanent shelter programme for IDPs that are not likely to go back soon to their areas of origin in Thirukkovil and Alayadivembu.

According to the Inter-Agency shelter needs assessment carried out in Navithanveli by UNHCR, UN OCHA, IOM, NRC and ZOA there is no immediate need of shelter and wat/san facilities.

Protection

ZOA and other INGOs have been denied access to the Vellavely area and there are concerns about mines and UXOs

Agriculture & Food Security

FAO conducted an awareness training programme for 22 beneficiaries in collaboration with the Village Rehabilitation Council (VRC) in Pandiruppu.

FAO provided materials to enable the construction of Above Ground Water Tanks for rain water harvesting, for 22 beneficiaries in Pandiruppu.