P 231154Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY COLOMBO
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9432
AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 
AMEMBASSY DHAKA PRIORITY 
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 
INFO NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC
CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI//J3/J332/J52//
CDRUSARPAC FT SHAFTER HI//APCW/APOP//

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000199 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/INS AND PRM 
STATE ALSO PASS TO USAID 
AID/W FOR ANE/SCA 
AID/W FOR LPA 
AID/W FOR DCHA/FFP FOR JDWORKEN, JBORNS 
AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA FOR ACONVERY, RTHAYER AND RKERR 
BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA WBERGER 
KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA MROGERS 
USMISSION GENEVA FOR NKYLOH 
USMISSION USUNNY/ECOSOC FOR DMERCADO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID PGOV PHUM PREF CE
SUBJECT: SRI LANKA: UN LAUNCHES 2009 COMMON HUMANITARIAN ACTION PLAN 
 
REF: COLOMBO 0174 
 
¶1.  Summary:  On February 18, 2009, the United Nations launched its 
2009 Common Humanitarian Action Plan (CHAP) for Sri Lanka.  The 2009 
CHAP requests US$ 155 million for 103 projects proposed by 42 
organizations.  Priority activities for immediate requirements are 
estimated at $75.7 million.  The CHAP focuses on eleven sectors to 
address needs of over 400,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) 
and other conflict affected people in Sri Lanka's North, as well as 
support for the return of and stabilization process for 20,000 IDPs 
in the East.  In attendance were the Ambassador and USAID Mission 
Director, heads of mission from other major donor countries, senior 
officials of aid missions, country directors of several UN agencies, 
and senior representatives of international NGOs.  The CHAP launch 
included remarks by senior Government of Sri Lanka officials and the 
resident UN Humanitarian Coordinator, along with a presentation by 
the Head of OCHA and remarks by the ICRC country director.  The 
launch concluded with questions and answers and a short Government 
video portraying the plight of civilians trapped in fighting and 
their treatment after they crossed over Government battles lines. 
End Summary 
 
Collaborative Process between UN and GSL 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. After the UN Humanitarian Coordinator's introductory remarks, 
Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights Mahinda 
Samarasinghe spoke on behalf of the Government of Sri Lanka.  He 
outlined the steps leading to development of the CHAP document, 
commenting on the collaborative nature of the process between the UN 
and the Government.  He described the Government as being "happy 
with the document," stating that "now we have a consensus position." 
 Anticipating the normal, mid-year review of the CHAP (April - June 
timeframe) as the time to make adjustments in programs and resource 
levels, the Minister emphasized two important points: 1) activities 
implemented under the CHAP must be consistent with the Government's 
National Economic Development Plan, and 2) the Government, in 2009, 
will expect improvements in the monitoring of partners' performance 
under the CHAP, with a focus on outputs. 
 
CHAP Overview 
------------- 
 
¶3. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator gave an overview of the 2009 
CHAP.  It targets 433,000 beneficiaries, including 310,000 IDPs in 
the North and 4,000 in the East, 19,000 returnees (in the East), and 
100,000 vulnerable people affected by the conflict, including people 
in Jaffna.  He described the conditions of the civilians currently 
trapped in the Vanni and cited the government's estimate of 150,000 
trapped civilians, versus the UN estimate of 230,000 persons). 
Using the sector (cluster) approach, the UN and its partners are 
developing sector plans for the transit sites (now numbering 17 in 
the District of Vavuniya) being set up for the Vanni IDPs after they 
are screened and then transported by the army to these temporary 
facilities.  The Humanitarian Coordinator emphasized three 
priorities of the CHAP: 1) relief assistance to IDPs and vulnerable 
populations; 2) protection for civilians affected by the fighting, 
including their screening once they cross over to the army, and the 
application of international standards, such as civilian management 
and freedom of movement, for their temporary stay in transit sites; 
and 3) early recovery that will support voluntary returns of the 
remaining IDPs in the East, and of those in the North, in the 
shortest possible timeframe. 
 
¶4. The identification of projects was based on the UN cluster 
system, led by the UN in partnership with NGOs and in collaboration 
with the Government's line ministries.  The Head of the UN Office 
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) summarized the 
focus and funding requirements of each of the eleven clusters 
(sectors) under the CHAP: shelter/non food relief items/camp 
management, water and sanitation, food, nutrition, health, 
education, agriculture and food security, economic recovery and 
infrastructure, protection, coordination, and support services.  She 
stated that, of the total cost ($155 million) of the CHAP, $75.7 
million was needed for priority activities.  For example, of the 
estimated $59 million requested for the food sector, she identified 
$27 million as urgent for the first six months, primarily for the 
procurement of rice. 
 
Questions from the Audience 
--------------------------- 
 
¶5. At the end of the presentation, there was a question and answer 
session.  The US Ambassador asked about plans for resettling IDPs in 
the North, commenting on recent, encouraging statements by the 
Government that the goal would be for 80 percent of the Vanni IDPs 
to be resettled by the end of 2009.  The Ambassador emphasized the 
importance of applying international humanitarian standards, lauding 
the improvement of access by humanitarian workers in the Vavuniya 
sites, but expressed concern about the lack of international 
monitoring of the screening of IDPs in Kilinochchi and Omanthai once 
they leave LTTE-controlled territory. 
 
Government's Responses 
---------------------- 
 
¶6.  Special Advisor to the President Basil Rajapaksa fielded these 
and other questions.  He described the treatment of civilians after 
they cross Army lines.  After a security screening, they are given a 
medical check-up and basic supplies (high energy biscuits, water, 
snacks).  Within a day or two, buses transport them to transit sites 
in Vavuniya, where they are provided basic services (shelter, food, 
water, toilets, electricity).  While acknowledging the contribution 
of UN and NGO partners, Rajapaksa emphasized that it is the 
Government of Sri Lanka that is responsible for its citizens and is 
meeting many of their basic needs. 
 
¶7. He described the four stages of Government plans for IDPs in the 
North.  After their basic needs were met, he said the Government's 
plan was to accommodate people in "transitional places," an idea 
that emerged following the President of Sri Lanka's visit to model 
villages constructed in China for earthquake victims.  He described 
these transitional places as having a range of facilities, including 
schools, health facilities, banks, post offices, cooperative stores, 
and counseling centers.  (Note These transitional places appear to 
cross the lne from temporary facilities to a longer-term 
arangement, similar to the "welfare villages" that te Government 
has talked about over the past several months.) 
 
¶8. The final stage for IDPs will be resettlement to their places of 
origin.  The special advisor emphasized the importance of planning, 
with an emphasis on infrastructure (road construction, electricity, 
irrigations schemes, health centers), law and order (six police 
stations have recently been built, including one for Kilinochchi), 
and de-mining (U.S.-trained Sri Lankan military de-miners have moved 
from the East to undertake humanitarian de-mining in Mannar and 
Vavuniya Districts).  He stated that the priority areas for 
resettlement include Mannar and Vavuniya Districts (all IDPs to 
return in time for rice planting in April), and other areas that had 
high population densities and where few mines had been laid.  He 
referred to the rapid resettlement of IDPs in the East, saying that 
the Government expected 80 percent of the Vanni IDPs to be resettled 
in the North by the end of 2009. 
 
Three-pronged Approach to Assist Civilians 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶9. Rajapaksa stated that 90 percent of the civilians currently 
trapped in the Vanni were now in the Government-established safe 
zones.  In contrast to Government predictions in January that the 
war would be finished within a matter of days, Rajapaksa took a more 
measured position in his remarks to the CHAP audience.  He said the 
Government was doing its best to get civilians out, but that more 
time would be needed, citing a three-pronged approach: 1) cessation 
of the use of heavy weapons and no indirect firing into the safety 
zone, even if the LTTE positions were among civilians; 2) in 
collaboration with ICRC, transport of sick and injured to 
Trincomalee, where the Government would take over sole 
responsibility for attending to its citizens; and 3) in 
collaboration with the World Food Program, daily shipments of food 
(80 - 100 MTs) by sea to the Vanni.  He also stated that the 
Ministry of Health will provide the ICRC with medicines for the next 
sea shuttle between Trincomalee and the Vanni.  Rajapaksa assured 
attendees that screening of IDPs was done according to international 
standards, once they crossed army lines.  He also stated that the 
Government was setting up hotlines to trace family members and 
issuing identity cards to facilitate people's movement once they had 
been registered.  When pressed, he said that the ICRC would be 
allowed to monitor the screening of IDPs, which takes place at 
Kilinochchi and Omanthai. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10. In contrast to previous years, questions at the 2009 CHAP launch 
focused on ongoing humanitarian concerns, rather than resource 
levels and program strategy.  Of greatest interest were the need for 
a resettlement strategy that will encourage voluntary returns in a 
short, reasonable timeframe; and humanitarian access to IDPs, both 
during the initial screening when civilians cross over to the 
Government side and in the transit sites being set up in Vavuniya 
and Mannar.  In general, Special Advisor Rajapaksa's comments were 
encouraging and consistent with expectations of the humanitarian 
community.  However, his description of the planned "transitional 
villages" implies that the GSL still plans longer than transitional 
stays for a significant percentage of the people coming out of the 
North. 
 
MOORE