GAPS IN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AT IDP CAMPS IN SRI LANKA

UNCLAS COLOMBO 000598 STATE FOR SCA (RBLAKE),SCA/INS AND PRM STATE ALSO PASS USAID AID/W FOR ANE/SCA, DCHA/FFP (JDWORKEN, KSHEIN) AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA (PMORRIS, ACONVERY, RTHAYER, RKERR) ATHENS FOR PCARTER BANGKOK FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA (WBERGER) KATHMANDU FOR USAID/DCHA/OFDA AND POL (SBERRY) GENEVA FOR RMA (NKYLOH, NHILGERT, MPITOTTI) USUN NEW YORK FOR ECOSOC (DMERCADO) SECDEF FOR OSD - POLICY PACOM ALSO FOR J-5 E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREF MOPS PHUM PGOV PREL ASEC CE SUBJECT: GAPS IN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AT IDP CAMPS IN SRI LANKA ¶1. Summary. On May 29, the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) briefed the media on needs, achievements, gaps, and challenges in camps for recently-displaced persons in Sri Lanka. Gaps remain in the shelter and settlements, protection, nutrition, agriculture, emergency education, and water, sanitation, and hygiene sectors. UNHCR was unable to ascertain gaps in the food, health, mine clearance, and emergency relief supply sectors. Results of an assessment of Manik Farm camp conducted by USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) from May 18 to 22 largely coincide with UNHCR's report. USAID/OFDA continues to assess humanitarian gaps in internally displaced person (IDP) camps in Sri Lanka. USAID/OFDA is working with implementing partners to allocate resources to meet acute needs through ongoing programming. End summary. -------------- Conflict and Displacement in Sri Lanka -------------- ¶2. On May 17, the 26-year conflict between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) officially ended. From October 2008 through May 28, 2009, more than 276,000 people fled from the conflict zone in northern Sri Lanka to GSL-controlled territory, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). More than 256,000 of these individuals are located in temporary camps in Vavuniya District, with more than 226,000 people in Manik Farm IDP camp alone as of May 31, according to OCHA. ¶3. On May 29, UNHCR gave a public briefing on needs, achievements, gaps, and challenges in IDP camps in northern Sri Lanka. USAID/OFDA staff obtained the document upon which the briefing was based, which was not released publicly, on June 2. A summary of current gaps and challenges follows below. From May 18 to 22, a USAID/OFDA regional advisor assessed conditions in Manik Farm camp. The regional advisor's assessment is largely in line with UNHCR's report on gaps and challenges. 
 -------------- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) -------------- ¶4. UNHCR reported that on average, IDPs in camps each receive 10 liters of drinking water per day. However, water coverage is inconsistent within Manik Farm, and some partners report that individuals receive as little as two to three liters of water per day. In addition to the 3,154 latrines already constructed, 2,846 more latrines are needed immediately, and a total of 11,500 latrines are needed overall to bring the ratio of latrines to people from 1:50 to 1:20. UNHCR also reports an urgent need for 1,000 bathing spaces, 88 tube wells, 10 water treatment plans, 5,800 garbage bins, 36,500 hygiene kits per month, and 455 water tanks with a 1,000-liter capacity. The camps also lack effective water distribution systems to ensure that water is available in every section of the camp. Challenges to closing these gaps are vehicle access restrictions, overcrowding, and lack of WASH supplies and equipment, as well as the lack of organized hygiene promotion campaigns and the lack of a surveillance system to track morbidity and mortality rates for WASH-related illnesses. ¶5. The USAID/OFDA regional advisor reported that WASH is the most critical sector in Manik Farm camp, with current levels of support well below Sphere standards. Moreover, USAID/OFDA is extremely concerned about a lack of sufficient water sources within Manik Farm to meet demand and the resulting need to truck in water from outlying areas, which is inefficient and costly. -------------- Shelter and Settlements -------------- ¶6. According to UNHCR, while 8,800 emergency shelters and 14,000 tents have been erected, an additional 15,000 emergency shelters are needed. This, coupled with insufficient level, cleared land for erecting shelters, is causing overcrowding. In addition, existing camps will become even more congested as schools serving as transit sites are emptied and IDPs are transferred to Manik Farm. Although the regional advisor was not able to conduct a thorough assessment of shelter and settlements during the visit to Manik Farm camp, USAID/OFDA has received multiple reports about the shortage of level, cleared land for IDP camps and is concerned about potential shortages of shelter space if IDPs remain in camps for more than a few months. -------------- Emergency Relief Supplies -------------- ¶7. UNHCR has noted that the humanitarian community has yet to assess the needs for transitional and return kits for resettlement of IDPs. Thus, gaps in emergency relief supplies to support returns and resettlement programs are currently unknown. -------------- Emergency Food Assistance -------------- ¶8. While UNHCR did not report on gaps in emergency food assistance, USAID/FFP staff in Sri Lanka notes that there have been no gaps in dry rations provided by WFP, much of which is USAID Title II food aid. WFP has arrangements with 16 NGOs to distribute these rations using communal cooking arrangements. Current food aid issues include an inequitable provision of complementary foods among the different IDP camps and within large camps; a looming, overall shortfall in complementary food due to lack of resources; and a proposed transition from communal to individual cooking in some areas. In addition, WFP anticipates pipeline breaks in dry rations starting in September. -------------- Protection -------------- ¶9. While the international community has made progress in implementing protection programs, enhanced protection presence -- in the form of additional staff and agencies able to access new IDP sites -- is required. Also lacking are equitable and uniformly applied GoSL policies on compensation and restitution. Protection concerns raised by UNHCR include congestion of sites, remaining military presence inside sites, lack of freedom of movement for IDPs, limitation on IDPs' access to services, restrictions on the humanitarian community's access, child-headed households, former child combatants, and the presence of vulnerable children including unaccompanied minors. ¶10. The USAID/OFDA regional advisor also reported significant gaps in the provision of protection services to IDP populations and noted that limited access and overcrowding in Manik Farm have magnified protection issues. The humanitarian community cannot precisely establish what is happening in terms of protection at present, given access constraints and instructions that IDPs have received from camp management not to speak with humanitarian aid workers. The regional advisor reported, however, that members of the humanitarian community have defined this crisis as primarily a protection crisis. -------------- Health -------------- ¶11. UNHCR did not report on health gaps or challenges. The USAID/OFDA regional advisor reported that minimal health services are available in Manik Farm, and nearby hospitals struggle to cope with the massive numbers of war-wounded patients who have recently sought medical attention. The reluctance of the GoSL to use expatriate medical facilities and staff inside the camps, as well as vastly understaffed and ill-equipped Ministry of Health referral hospitals, are exacerbating this situation. More problematic are the lack of a surveillance system to track morbidity and mortality rates and the lack of mobile units to identify sick or wounded camp inhabitants and either treat them on the spot or transfer them to the nearest health clinic. -------------- Nutrition -------------- ¶12. The humanitarian community has implemented numerous nutrition programs and is supporting various nutrition centers and outreach activities. However, UNHCR reported that in order to ensure the appropriate functioning of such centers and outreach activities, more than 150 staff members from non-governmental organizations need training on nutrition in emergencies, including community-based management of severe acute malnutrition. An additional 20 nutrition rehabilitation centers, attached to each primary health center and referral health center, are necessary. Challenges to filling gaps include difficulties expanding nutrition services, accessing camps, and obtaining the necessary approvals. ¶13. The USAID/OFDA regional advisor reported that the nutritional status of newly arrived IDPs is not good. The regional advisor also has received reports of significant numbers of malnourished children. Hospitals in both Vavuniya and Mannar, which have accepted the majority of patients from the IDP population, confidentially report that up to 70 percent of the children admitted are malnourished. Additional nutrition staff are needed to man the 16 U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) Nutrition Centers; to date, the Ministry of Health has not been able to provide the necessary doctors and nurses. Bringing in expatriate health staff remains a sensitive and largely insurmountable issue. -------------- Agriculture -------------- ¶14. According to UNHCR, gaps in the agriculture sector include the lack of a comprehensive needs assessment in northern Sri Lanka, low levels of cluster participation and coordination, severely weakened food production capacities, and the international community's focus on meeting humanitarian needs rather than promoting early recovery. Challenges to filling gaps include insufficient funding, the need to integrate the agriculture sector into resettlement planning, the impact of prolonged drought, accessing and selecting beneficiaries, accessing arable land, and identifying beneficiary needs. The regional advisor was not able to assess needs in the agriculture sector. -------------- Mine Clearance -------------- ¶15. UNHCR did not report on gaps in mine action but did indicate that challenges include delays in GoSL approval procedures and security clearances, limited access, extended time required for survey, and funding shortfalls. The regional advisor did not assess needs for mine clearance. However, USAID/Sri Lanka notes that mine action continues to be piecemeal and not in support of an articulated returns framework, making it difficult for mine action agencies to increase staffing and for donors to program additional resources. -------------- Education -------------- ¶16. At present, gaps in emergency education include insufficient amount of space for programs. Temporary learning spaces have been erected, and these spaces are typically used for education in the morning and child-friendly and community activities in the evening. The dense population of school-aged children has required that education take place in shifts and is precluding communities from using the spaces for child-friendly and community activities. An additional 373 temporary learning spaces are required to provide minimal facilities for all displaced children. Challenges to filling gaps include lack of funding, teaching materials, personnel, and awareness among stakeholders regarding the importance of emergency education, according to UNHCR. The regional advisor did not assess emergency education needs and gaps. -------------- USAID/OFDA Efforts to Meet Humanitarian Gaps -------------- ¶17. USAID/OFDA staff in Sri Lanka are continuing to assess humanitarian conditions and work with partner organizations to meet urgent needs. Through the umbrella grant with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) in particular, USAID/OFDA is able to rapidly respond to changing humanitarian conditions on the ground and fill gaps in as few as three days after confirming reports of emergency needs. MOORE