VZCZCXYZ0008
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLM #0541/01 0990317
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 090317Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5835
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 5091

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000541 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO USAID 
AID/W PLEASE PASS USAID/OFDA, USAID/ANE, USAID/CMM 
KATHMANDU FOR OFDA REGIONAL ADVISOR WILLIAM BERGER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF CE
SUBJECT: SUMMARY OF UNITED NATIONS COMMON HUMANITARIAN 
ACTION PLAN IMPLEMENTATION IN SRI LANKA 
 
¶1.  Summary:  On March 30, UN agencies involved with the 
Sri Lanka Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) gave 
presentations on the status of their activities and 
funding levels.  Additional funds are sought in all 
areas.  During introductory remarks, UN Country 
Representative Frederick Lyons stated that prior to 
committing donor funding, the international community 
should gain a better understanding of the Government of 
Sri Lanka?s (GSL) mechanisms to address the humanitarian 
crisis, particularly with regard to internally displaced 
persons (IDPs), caused by the conflict.  This is not, 
said Lyons, a major shift in the procedures that the UN 
and other agencies normally go through prior to 
committing funding.  Rather, it is heads-up to the GSL 
that donors will first look to it to address the IDP 
situation before committing donor funding.  This cable 
provides a summary of the UN CHAP presentations.  End 
Summary. 
 
------------------------------------- 
IDPS IN THE EAST: UN SITUATION UPDATE 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. Sri Lanka now has an IDP caseload in Batticaloa and 
Trincomalee of 161,500 people, of which the total number 
of IDPs seeking shelter in camps and welfare centers is 
75,700, while 85,800 IDPs are seeking refuge with friends 
and family.  11,000 people have returned to Vakarai and a 
further 3,000 have relocated to Trincomalee.  At present, 
there are 93 emergency IDP sites, comprising 10,250 
temporary shelters, 6,000 tents and 11 relocation sites, 
in Batticaloa in response to what threatens to become a 
major humanitarian crisis. 
 
¶3.  The UN estimates that up to 10,000 people may still 
be displaced from Batticaloa West and a large scale 
displacement could take place in the North, primarily in 
Mannar, Vavuniya and Kilinochchi.  Consequently, 
contingency stocks need to be pre-positioned in the North 
and an additional 4,000 temporary shelters are required 
in Batticaloa.  Funding requirements continue to 
escalate, with $14,973,732 needed, of which only 
$6,785,552 has been received.  Of this amount, $4,962,975 
has been contributed by the United Nations High 
Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). 
 
----------------------------- 
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 
----------------------------- 
 
¶4. 1,635,000 liters of safe drinking water is provided 
daily for drinking and cooking at 15 liters per capita. 
104 IDP sites have already been fully equipped with water 
and sanitation facilities.  The water, sanitation, and 
hygiene (WASH) designs take into account gender, age and 
special needs of disabled IDPs.  New designs of portable 
toilets have been developed to respond to the highly 
mobile IDP population, and all IDPs have been provided 
with family hygiene kits.  Efficient coordination 
mechanisms are in place at the district and division 
levels; however, gaps in water, sanitation and hygiene 
include a deficit of 188,453 liters of safe drinking 
water, a shortage of 224 toilets for females and 189 
toilets for males, insufficient bathing facilities in 
Batticaloa and Ampara, WASH facilities for 142 IDP sites, 
and lighting of toilets to prevent night assault and 
rape.  In addition to these gaps, there is a projected 
need of a further 1,000 female toilets and 1,000 male 
toilets in the next 3-4 months.  Some of the main 
constraints in providing the required services are the 
kidnapping or arbitrary imprisonment of bowser drivers by 
fighting parties, the fact that operating costs for water 
bowsers and gully emptiers are not being reimbursed, and 
limited capacity of the government to deliver water, 
sanitation and hygiene.  Moreover, the transient nature 
of IDPs creates challenges in the untilization, 
management and maintenance of WASH facilities in camps. 
In addition, some humanitarian WASH assets are being used 
by the Sri Lanka army for military purposes.  The total 
funding required to provide required services is 
$1,034,000. 
 
--------- 
Education 
--------- 
 
¶5. The escalation in violence has resulted in the 
displacement of approximately 30,000 students in 
 
Batticaloa, 20,000 students in the Vanni and 14,000 
students from Vakarai and Trincomalee.  Almost 100 
schools have been closed and most students have been 
unable to attend school for the past eight months.  In 
response to the current situation, emergency education 
has been coordinated at zonal levels by working groups 
co-facilitated by education sector representatives and 
zonal education directors.  Guidelines and material have 
been developed for consolidated syllabi to ensure that 
IDP children are able to complete missed schooling. 
Basic items, such as writing paper and uniforms, have 
been provided.  Twenty-four learning spaces have been 
provided with water and sanitation facilities, benefiting 
2500 children.  In addition, 30 teachers of IDPs have 
been trained in psychosocial skills.  The main 
constraints in the education sector have been the limited 
capacity of the government to deliver emergency education 
and partners having only limited access in the north and 
to most vulnerable conflict-affected populations in 
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)- controlled and 
high security areas.  Since most teachers have been 
stranded or displaced, there has been a severe shortage 
of qualified teachers.  The increase in continued 
displacement has led to children enrolling in several 
different schools within short periods of time; 
typically, these students are unable to complete terms 
and perform at the same levels as peers.  A few schools 
have been occupied or used by the armed forces as 
training centers, artillery bases or camps.  The funding 
requirement for the next three months is calculated at 
$1,307,110. 
 
------------------ 
Food and Nutrition 
------------------ 
 
¶6. In the food and nutrition sector, 6,386 metric tons 
of basic food have been provided to conflict-affected 
areas by the WFP through the Government of Sri Lanka. 
However, the pipeline will be exhausted by the end of 
April.  UNICEF has provided community-based nutrition and 
fortified biscuits in all conflict affected areas.  The 
biscuits will run out in April.  The Dutch Christian Aid 
Organization (ZOA) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) 
have supported IDPs with basic foods in Batticaloa, 
Jaffna, Mannar and Trincomalee.  The local community has 
played its part in providing assistance, particularly in 
the East.  The GSL has also played a role, but only 
limited information on its activities is available. 
Beneficiary numbers are much higher than anticipated and 
further growth in food needs is expected. 
 
------ 
Health 
------ 
 
¶7.  Health issues have impacted IDPs and host communities 
alike.  There are shortages of health workers, especially 
in hard-to-reach areas.  An increase in vector borne 
diseases, acute respiratory infections and hepatitis has 
been observed in many areas.  A decline in mental health 
conditions has led to an increase in the suicide rate.  A 
drop in reproductive health and gaps in immunization are 
also evident.  The responses that have been implemented 
include child immunization; health assessments; mobile 
clinics; health sector coordination and reporting; 
provision of essential medicine, health kits and 
supplies, mental health care and psychosocial support; 
strengthening capacity of local health providers; vector 
control and control of communicable diseases; 
reproductive health and water quality testing.  The 
health funding shortfall is $2,831,766. 
 
----------------------------- 
Agriculture and Food Security 
----------------------------- 
 
¶8. The agriculture and food security sector requires 
immediate funding to provide basic food kits, resume 
farming activities, and support coping mechanisms.  Needs 
include food crop seeds, home garden vegetable kits, 
livestock and vaccines.  The immediate funding 
requirement is $4,874,000. 
 
¶9. Comment:  Sri Lanka is now in the unenviable 
position of having the largest number of IDPs in Asia. 
The GSL is more open to discussing humanitarian 
assistance issues since the inception of the Consultative 
ACTION PLA IMPLEMENTATION IN SRI LANKA 
 
Committee on Humantarian Assistance (CCHA), on which the 
Ambassado represents the Co-Chairs.  Ambassador met with 
asil Rajapaksa, the President?s chief political advisor, 
on April 4 to urge that resettlement take pace according 
to international standards and tha the government ensure 
that those who are resetted have adequate food, water 
and shelter and the means by which to regain their 
livelihoods.  Post would like to thank USAID/OFDA and 
State/PRM for their support of the CHAP and the 
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).  We 
encourage them to continue this support, as well as their 
dialogue with us on these issues. 
 
BLAKE