The Special Advisor to the USG on Internal
Displacement, Mr Dennis McNamara, started a 5 day mission on 4 September
to review the internal displacement situation in the country.
KILINOCHCHI DISTRICT
Situation update
Shelling during the night continues
IDP's
IDP needs assessment to identify most vulnerable families that live with friends and relatives started today (September 4). This needs assessment is coordinated by CARE and supported by all international agencies such as FORUT, SCF, UNHCR, Solidar, ZOA, UNICEF. Agencies have been allocated to areas where IDPs live and upon completion of the assessment, agencies will submit the assessment forms back to CARE for aggregation and processing of the information. Totally 151 locations (75 in Kilinochchi (including Maruthankerny, Jaffna) and 76 in Mullaitivu have been identified. Agencies have been assigned to 89 locations and will continue the assessment in the remaining 62 locations upon completion of the initial 89 sites.
GA Kilinochchi office has informed aid agencies that it has identified 15 temporary shelter sites for 1,612 families of IDPs in communal places and under trees (of the current total of 1,712) and has been selected on priority basis. In total 79 toilets have been requested for the 15 relocation sites. Similarly, the Mullaitivu district Planning and Development Secretariat (LTTE) has identified 262 families to be relocated from nine communal places (including five schools) and five such relocation sites have already been identified.
Sector Response
Shelter
At the Kilinochchi inter-agency meeting held on 1 September it was decided to start temporary shelter construction once relocation sites are identified by the respective GA of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts.
NFRIs
A total of 3,375 IDP families that live in communal areas and under trees in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and North Vavuniya have received NFRI packages.
Food
Of the total 1,889 MT of food and NFIs approved by the Ministry of Finance and Planning, 850 MT have already been transported and negotiations to transport the remaining 1,038 MT items is ongoing between the GA and authorities in Colombo.
Water and Sanitation
UN agencies in Kilinochchi district will run out of fuel in approximately ten days.
Health
There is still a shortage of drugs in the hospitals of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu.
VAVUNIYA DISTRICT
On Friday 1 September, a group of over 300 fishermen from Udappu, Puttalam crossed the lines from Vanni to Vavuniya. The group were seasonal workers who had become stranded in Mullaitivu after the closure of the lines. They had been staying in a common building and received NFRI assistance from UNICEF Kilinochchi. The fishermen were met at the lines by UNHCR, NRC and community leaders from Udappu and their onward transportation to Puttalam was arranged by NRC.
TRINCOMALEE DISTRICT
Situation update
Shelling in Trincomalee continued, but with less intensity.
Due to rain in Kantalai, IDPs have started to return to Muttur. This is in addition to the IDPs that have gone back in 13 busses in the last couple of days. Some IDPs are able to return home where as others have only been able to return to existing IDP sites in Muttur. District authorities now report 10,077 IDPs in Muttur. The Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) has been presented to the GA and NGOs in Trincomalee.
Sector response
Site management and shelter
District authorities have provided 400 tin sheets for shelter for the newly displaced in
Seruvila.
Food
Five Lorries of supplementary food arrived from Kegalle for distribution at IDP sites.
Watsan
Flies have become an issue at IDP sites while sand and chemicals have been put down to control the situation.
BATTICALOA DISTRICT
Situation update
While humanitarian access to Vaharai improved over the month, access to other LTTE controlled areas remain difficult. On 2 September UNHCR followed a set-procedure to bring NFRIs into the LTTE controlled area of Kiran DS division.
IDPs
Total displacement in Batticaloa District is 16,547 families/ 62,491 individuals. Seven schools house IDPs in the Kalkudah zone.
Sector Response
Shelter
In Manmunai North, 76 shelters were provided to accommodate 163 IDP families (511 individuals). Single family members are sharing with other IDPs and two common kitchen units were provided to facilitate cooking by IDPs.
Food
GA/WFP plan to assist 50,000 IDPs with food assistance in September.
NGOs and other organizations supporting IDPs with food assistance in the District, include: OXFAM Australia, World Vision Lanka, Sewalanka, ESCO, World Concern, ZOA, CRS, CARITAS-EHED, Methodist Church, IOM, WUSC, Alliance Development Trust, JRS and private donations.
Food convoys organized by GA Kilinochchi entered the Vanni on 1 and 2 of September 2006, with essential food items are to be distributed by MPCS and the Commissioner General of Essential Services (CGES). Twenty one Lorries brought in 207 MT of wheat flour [60 MT out of this for the CGES and 147 MT for MPCS] and three Lorries loaded with 31.5 MT of sugar for MPCS. An additional three Lorries transported 29 MT of sugar for CGES and four Lorries transported 38.75 MT of flour for MPCS.
Protection
Registration for UAM /separated children started in Manmunai North, Valaichenai and Kaluwanchikudy DS divisions on 1 September while the same is being carried out in the other divisions.
A rapid Protection Assessment team completed its first round of assessment in Manmunai North (Batticaloa) and in Valachchenai. The assessment teams consists of UNICEF, UNHCR, the Government and NGOs.
NFRI
On 1 September, UNICEF/UNHCR distributed NFRIs (mats, bed sheets, jerry cans, soap and towel) at a Vaharai School and in the LTTE controlled area of Kiran DS division for 300 families and 72 families respectively.
Watsan
On 1 September WASH installed 3 x 1000 liter water tanks in Vaharai.
Bowsering is still a major issue and there is no capacity to fill the tanks.
Health
UNICEF Batticaloa visited Vaharai hospital, conducted health assessments and identified needs for the next four months.
The TDH donated medicines (for an amount of 150,000 rupees) to the DPDHS to deliver to the Italian Red Cross for use in the Vaharai hospital.
(pdf* format - 37 KB)