Attachments
This report covers the period of 1 January to 30 April 2007, but reports cumulative totals from December 2004 onwards.
In a world of global challenges, continued poverty, inequity, and increasing vulnerability to disasters and disease, the International Federation with its global network, works to accomplish its Global Agenda, partnering with local community and civil society to prevent and alleviate human suffering from disasters, diseases and public health emergencies.
In brief
Executive Summary:
The International Federation has a portfolio of more than 327 projects (completed and ongoing). The ongoing projects are being implemented by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and 19 Partner National Societies currently operating in the country, with the Sri Lankan Red Cross Society (SLRCS) at the forefront of the operation. Since the tsunami, more than 100 projects have been completed. These projects cover distributions of non-food relief items, livelihoods support, health education and awareness, water production, distribution, and construction of new houses and health structures.
In the last six months, the Movement in Sri Lanka has actively moved towards an owner-driven, self-build approach in housing reconstruction for families able to reconstruct on the site of their original home. The Community Recovery and Reconstruction Partnership (CRRP) acknowledges the existing experience andcapacities within the state structures, and is clearly assigning the coordination and facilitation role to the government. At the same time, the CRRP places the responsibility for managing the reconstruction itself on the affected communities and recipient families. By working closely together, the partners are delivering a package of financial, organizational and technical support to tsunami-affected families that enable them to reconstruct their houses to quality standards. Meanwhile, in the Matara district, under the donor driven programme, around 70 percent of the planned houses are either completed or under construction.
Since mid 2006, the conflict in Sri Lanka has shifted the attention of the humanitarian community in general away from tsunami recovery, with many of them re-orientating programmes in the north and east to focus on the emerging internally displaced people (IDP) crisis. The Federation has also adapted to this changing context and has extended some ad hoc logistical support to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) operations in the north and east as well as some supplies of non-food relief materials. Some Partner National Societies such as the British and German Red Cross, as well as the Hong Kong branch of the Red Cross Society of China have become more actively engaged in relief efforts.
The media has also become increasingly hostile against the international non-governmental organization (INGO) and NGO community, with regular reports accusing them of supporting the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The diplomatic community has expressed solidarity with the NGO community and these concerns have been raised at the highest levels of government.
In spite of the complexities that the Red Cross Red Crescent faces in Sri Lanka, a great deal has been achieved by the Movement in the last six months. A large part of the Movement's portfolio in the South of the country has been completed. Red Cross Red Crescent partners in Sri Lanka are taking on more collaborative and integrated approaches to programming, both between programme areas and through involving beneficiaries directly as part of community-based initiatives. This approach both increases the efficiency and the quality of the projects.
For further information specifically related to the tsunami operation, please contact:
Sri Lanka:
- Federation country delegation: Al Panico, head of delegation; email: al.panico@ifrc.org, phone: +941 1 452 8698, fax: +941 1 268 2671.
Federation Secretariat in Geneva:
- Johan Schaar, special representative
for the tsunami operation; email: johan.schaar@ifrc.org; phone: +41 22
730 4231; fax: +41 22 733 0395.
- Suzana Harfield, regional officer, Sri Lanka and the Maldives; email:
suzana.harfield@ifrc.org, phone +41 22 730 4 353, fax: +41 22 733 03 95
- Lesley Schaffer, tsunami grants officer; email: lesley.schaffer@ifrc.org,
phone: +41 22 730 4854
- Matthew Cochrane, media and public relations officer; email: matthew.cochrane@ifrc.org;
phone: +41 22 730 4426; mobile: +41 79 308 9804.
Asia Pacific Service Centre in Kuala Lumpur - phone: +60 3 2161 0892; fax: +60 3 2161 1210
- Igor Dmitryuk, head of regional logistics
unit, ext. 600; email: igor.dmitryuk@ifrc.org
- Umadevi Selvarajah, head of regional finance unit, ext. 140; email: umadevi.selvarajah@ifrc.org
- Karl O'Flaherty, tsunami finance coordinator, ext. 613; email: karl.oflaherty@ifrc.org
- Cheekeong Chew, acting head of regional reporting unit, ext. 300; email:
cheekeong.chew@ifrc.org