International Organization for Migration IOM Sri Lanka December 2005 - January 2006 Update #55

Tsunami response Transitional housing sites

In spite of weather constraints, hartals (general strikes), and restrictions in movement due to security concerns in various parts of the country, at the request of Sri Lankan authorities IOM managed to complete the construction of more than 300 transitional houses during the reporting period.

With funding from Japan, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department and Greece, IOM has now completed a total of 5378 transitional houses, benefiting more than 20,000 people residing in seven tsunami-affected . IOM continues to provide site care and maintenance assistance at all IOM transitional housing sites. Little girl living in a transitional housing site in

Distribution of food and non-food relief items to transitional housing sites

In Ampara rice, tea, plastic buckets, and lamps were distributed to beneficiaries of an IOM Sri Lanka IOM transitional housing site that was flooded. In addition, 150 buckets were given to 1, Police Park Merlin (INGO) for distribution to beneficiaries in other transitional housing sites that Place/31, Police were also flooded. Park Avenue Colombo 05 Political uprisings in the lead to the displacement of numerous Telephone: residents living in transitional housing sites in the area. IOM responded to the situation 11 535/5361941 by distributing over 700 bags of rice, 500 hurricane lamps, 300 packets of tea, 15 tents, Fax: and 37 mosquito nets to displaced familes. To date, some 300 families have received 11 5240401 relief items from IOM in the Eachchilampattu division of Trincomalee. IOM is E-mail: coordinating with ZOA and Caritas for the distribution of relief items to displaced people [email protected] in the Soodaikudah division.

www.iom.int Relief items distributed in both Trincomalee and Ampara were provided by Americares. Water and sanitation

IOM Sri Lanka Water and sanitation work for transitional settlements in Matara, Ampara, Gampaha and Kalutara districts continue throughout December and January.

In , IOM engineers obtained approval from the Ministry of Health for the design and construction of ten toilets. Site inspections were conducted in transitional housing sites regarding the proper functioning of installed water and sanitation facilities. As a result septic tanks and toilets were upgraded in some sites.

In Ampara, IOM engineers monitored transitional sites and identified contractors for the construction of wells in the Pottuvil division. The construction of eight toilets was completed at a transitional accommodation site in Alayadivembu housing 117 beneficiaries. Ten new contracts were also signed for well and toilet construction.

In , designs and cost estimations for permanent toilets were completed for the Galagoda transitional housing site in which 235 beneficiaries reside. Five toilets are now near completion. A bathing area consisting of eight showers was completed at the same housing site Drainage canal and water tap at an IOM and work continues with transitional housing site in Kalutara improvements to the drainage system.

At the Moderawila transitional housing site in Kalutara, where 254 families reside, drainage improvement work was completed. The construction of septic tanks is in progress.

Initial steps have been taken to install drainage systems and septic tanks in an IOM transitional housing site for 52 tsunami affected familes in , .

IOM Sri Lanka To date, water and sanitation work completed by IOM include 239 toilets, 65 shower and bathing facilities, 16 water towers and 26 water tanks. IOM has 1, Police Park Place/31, Police also constructed 18 two hand dug wells and 17 tube wells and has upgraded Park Avenue two hand dug wells. Construction of drainage systems in many sites, in Colombo 05 Gampaha, Matara, and Kalutara districts was completed to facilitate surface water drainage, in order to improve living conditions at transitional housing Telephone: sites. 11 535/5361941 Fax: 11 5240401 IOM is partnering with several NGOs to provide water and sanitation facilities in the tsunami affected districts. E-mail: [email protected]

www.iom.int Livelihood restoration and development

IOM Sri Lanka In the aftermath of the tsunami, IOM’s livelihood assistance was characterised by the need to provide urgent and tangible livelihood benefits to the affected population. By mid-2005, IOM’s livelihood activities expanded to vocational training, community based projects and other broader livelihood activities.

Based on evaluation of achievements in 2005 and internal consultations with IOM stakeholders, including beneficiaries, local CBOs and government counterparts, the IOM livelihood programme will continue to address basic livelihood requirements while gradually building local capacities to pursue longer-term development aspirations.

IOM’s livelihood Programme consists of three main programme components: ƒ Community based projects ƒ Household-driven income generation (or Direct household assistance) ƒ Vocational training

New life, new horizon: Sewing up a future

A flurry of activity created a festive atmosphere at the Town Hall of the Kalutara district. Two rows of stalls ran along the entire length of the huge room, displaying a host of items created by the dozens of IOM beneficiaries present there. These beneficiaries, all of whom live in IOM transitional housing sites, are clearly excited that their work is on display. “I never thought I’d be able to sew so well and that one day, I’d be able to participate in an exhibition like this,” says 40-year-old Chammika Fernando.

The women’s dedication and creativity is evident: colourful bed covers and table linen drape the display stands and on top of them, handmade bags, purses, colourful cushion covers and embroidered sarees – the traditional attire of Sri Lankan women. To add to the selection were rows of garments, children’s clothes and multi-coloured wall hangings strung out against the walls.

IOM officials organized the exhibition titled ‘New Life New Horizon…’ to provide a forum for the women to display the items they created while participating in a four-month long sewing training course organized by the IOM livelihood team in Kalutara. According to 30- year-old Sigla, it was a comprehensive course that allowed the participants time to learn, experiment and improve on existing skills.

The course also brought other benefits: “The IOM programme has not only brought us opportunities to earn an income but also helped us overcome depression after the tsunami,” Sigla explains. “The trainers have become our friends. They consoled us when we were sad and taught us skills too.”

“The exhibition is a chance to show the world what they are capable of and what we have achieved together using the resources at our disposal,” commented Ajith Gamage, of IOM’s Livelihood Programme in Kalutara. Community based projects IOM Sri Lanka Community based projects start with participatory rural appraisals (PRAs) and participatory needs assessments (PNAs) conducted in target communities. To date, PRAs and PNAs have been conducted in Matara, Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee districts. Based on these results, community activities are planned reflecting the needs and priorities of the communities as well as their future goals.

In Matara, IOM is currently focusing on restoring the Kotuwegoda Public Market, which was undergoing renovations when it was battered by the tsunami. The market building is again being renovated and the 34 market vendors who lost their spaces, will be provided with permanent stalls and business start-up assistance. The project benefits both the vendors to re-start their livelihoods, and also the public who will have access to a well functioning market place.

Also in Matara, IOM facilitated the process of reestablishing the Thotamuna Fishermen’s Cooperative Society. IOM works to restore the jetty area, construct a wholesale fish market and rebuild the fishing community centre. This society will also act as a community based organization (CBO) for selected community projects.

Household-driven income generation

To date, IOM’s livelihood programmes has directly assisted more than 3000 families through the replacement of livelihood tools and equipment which was lost or damaged in the tsunami.

In 2006, IOM will provide beneficiaries with a support package consisting of the following elements:

ƒ Business development training; including marketing, financial management, customer relations ƒ Skill upgrading ƒ Facilitating access to credit ƒ Follow-up counseling and monitoring

The IOM livelihood programme has established partnerships with business training institutions in Matara, Batticaloa, Ampara and Trincomalee.

IOM Sri Lanka During the months of December and 1, Police Park January, IOM initiated 245 direct livelihood Place/31, Police projects with people living in the districts of Park Avenue Ampara, Batticaloa, Kalutara and Matara. Colombo 05 These projects included support for paddy Telephone: cultivators, seamstresses, string hopper 11 535/5361941 vendors, poultry farmers, and carpenters. Fax: 11 5240401

E-mail: Women flaking rice in [email protected]

www.iom.int Vocational training and skills enhancement IOM Sri Lanka The key elements of IOM’s vocational training component are: - Vocational training, leading to a recognized certificate - On-the-Job-Training (OJT) placements - Provision of tool kits for participants

Through IOM’s vocational training Training in plumbing for youth in Matara programmes, generally conducted in collaboration with local organizations, beneficiaries are taught new skills or are given the opportunity to develop already existing skills in order to increase their daily income. In some cases, upon completion of the training, participants receive on-the-job placements to gain practical experience, as well as trade- tool kits to practice their newly acquired skills.

In Batticaloa, IOM organized a training for 120 goldsmiths in stone setting in partnership with H.K Consultancy Service. In December 2005, a second group of 20 goldsmiths completed their training and received tool kits.

In January 2006, 23 beneficiaries were assisted with poultry farming and were also given training on animal husbandry with the assistance of a veterinarian in the area.

In Matara district, IOM works with the Centre for Society and Religion, and the Social Economic and Environmental Development Organization in providing vocational training for 75 women and young people living in transitional housing sites. The youth were taught new skills in construction, such as tile laying, plumbing and electrical wiring, while the women are given equipment and training to develop their sewing skills. The women are also taught and encouraged to work as a group to benefit from bulk buying and selling.

To date, nearly 450 individuals have completed or are following a variety of vocational training courses, such as carpentry, welding, lathe machinery, electrical wiring, plumbing, tile laying, motor mechanics, masonry, leather products, pre-school teaching, and jewellery making.

Under the livelihood development programme, IOM has established partnerships with 13 local NGOs and community based organizations in eight tsunami affected districts. These cover a variety of activities including dry fish processing, establishing sewing societies, household income generation and business development, vocational training for young people and community livestock projects such as dairy farming co-operatives and goat associations. All 13 projects are currently going ahead as planned and will be reaching the monitoring stage soon.

To date, more than 2000 persons have been assisted by IOM through vocational and business training programmes. Youth in Matara are taught skills such as tile laying Health related activities

During the month of January, first aid training was conducted through the Sri Lanka IOM Sri Lanka Red Cross at numerous IOM transitional housing sites.

On January 9 and 10, a first aid training programme was held at the IOM office in Kalutara. The programme taught basic skills for early intervention in cases of emergencies, including training in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, dealing with poisonings and burns, and management of diarrhoea. A total of 34 people attended, including IOM staff members, preschool teachers and camp care committee members from IOM transitional housing sites.

A similar programme was conducted in Batticaloa on Participants of first-aid training in Batticaloa January 16 and 17 in which some 20 community members participated from four IOM transitional housing sites. Trainings was conducted based on case-studies and practical exercises, and included instructions for coping with shock, bleeding, bone damage, fire emergencies, and obstruction to breathing. Beneficiaries of both programmes agreed on the value of the lessons learned and requested that such programmes be repeated.

Psychosocial activities

IOM continues to implement psychosocial activities in six tsunami affected districts: Colombo, Kalutara, Matara, Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee. Activities include support to 16 preschools, 43 preschool teachers, 16 family support workers, 14 youth clubs, 22 community centers and numerous other activities. In addition IOM continues its ‘access to information campaign’ by providing daily deliveries of newspapers in 46 transitional accommodation sites benefiting some 10,000 people.

As the tsunami anniversary approached, numerous activities were planned to commemorate the tragedy. The activities supported by IOM in the different districts came from discussions with local partners and communities. In many districts religious services and tree planting campaigns were held in remembrance of the nearly 35,000 people who lost their lives in the disaster. In many cases, IOM provided community members with saplings and seeds to be planted.

Additional activities included:

IOM Sri Lanka In Matara district, a cricket tournament was organised for children living at 1, Police Park Place/31, Police transitional shelter sites. Additionally, an Park Avenue art competition titled “Life one year after Colombo 05 the tsunami” was held in which 80 children living in transitional housing Telephone: 11 535/5361941 sites participated. Two winning drawings Fax: were selected to be used for 11 5240401 commemorative greetings cards.

E-mail: [email protected]

www.iom.intContestants show off the winning designs of the greetings cards In Trincomalee, in addition to religious activities and tree planting ceremonies, IOM collaborated with IOM Sri Lanka other local NGOs in organising the “Rainbow at Trinco” festival where over one hundred blank white flags were distributed, via NGOs and government organizations, to community members who painted the flags in bright colours an dmessages of hope. This was an opportunity for the community to express solidarity with those who had been affected by the tsunami and to share a moment of remembrance of lost loved ones. The flags were later displayed for public viewing at a School children parade the streets of local beach Balluvar aham. Trincomalee displaying their decorated flags

Other psychosocial activities in December and January included:

In early December, a TV crew from the Korean Educational Broadcasting Service network preparing a special documentary on children in disaster stricken areas visited IOM transitional housing sites and preschools in Kalutara, Colombo and Matara to cover some of the psychosocial activities carried out.

IOM continues to support computer training courses for youth and local NGO staff in Matara. The courses are held in the Information Communication Technology Centre run in partnership with the Centre for Peace Building and Reconciliation. A total of 131 youths have already completed the preliminary 10 week training course (45 of whom reside in IOM transitional housing sites). A second group began training on December 10, 2005; 132 young people are participating in this training round. Training for local NGO staff began on January 17, 2006. The project’s objective is to work on promoting cross-cultural understanding, computer and internet skills training, youth leadership and professional skills development.

In Kalutara, IOM held a number of children’s concerts in which approximately 130 children participated. The aim of the concerts was to give the children an opportunity to interact and participate in different games and activities and basically join together in having fun.

In Batticaloa, IOM organized ‘community cooking’ programmes where some 250 families participated. The programme hoped to build a sense of solidarity and community spirit between residents.

In January 2006, the Sea Scouts in Kalutara started a six

Community cooking in Batticaloamonth programme for tsunami affected children in the area. Sea Scouts is running an outdoor programme for young people between the ages of 8- 20 that also encourages parent participation. Within the Sea Scouts programme, basic outdoor skills are developed and first aid, citizenship and leadership skills are introduced. Youth are also taught about team work, getting along and cooperating with one another in order to achieve a common goal. This programme is fully funded by IOM and currently has about 30 children participating. Registration and information management: Mobile registration

On December 5, the mobile registration of tsunami-affected populations got underway in IOM Sri Lanka Matara district. At the beginning of January, close to 16,000 heads of households had been registered. This provides information for more than 60,000 tsunami affected individuals. During the reporting period, data collection was also completed in with nearly 8,000 heads of households registered. Three registration buses have now moved on to the where more than 7,000 heads of households had been registered by January 24. The fourth registration bus started collecting data in Kalutara as of January 23.

To date, more than 30,000 heads of households have provided information about themselves and the members of their family, including personal information and details about the assistance they have received. This represents over 120,000 people.

The registration process

IOM works closely with the National Database Centre at the Presidential Secretariat in registering over 1 million people affected by the tsunami living in 13 coastal districts. With the assistance of local authorities, including the Grama Niladharis (divisional officers) of the affected areas, the registration process continues efficiently.

Prior to beginning registration in a given location, IOM organises a training session to familiarize local government officials with the registration procedures. The respective Grama Niladharis of each district then distribute leaflets to the affected populations informing them of the date and location of where the registration will take place. The leaflets, printed in the local languages (Tamil and Sinhala), list all the necessary information required for people to be registered properly including ID card numbers and dates of birth of all household members.

Customized buses act as mobile data collection hubs and travel from district to district along the coast collecting all necessary information on tsunami affected populations. For this purpose, four buses have been equipped with laptops, digital cameras, fingerprint scanners and UPS devices, each accommodating 15 data collectors. The engine of the bus provides power to all the equipment within the bus, allowing for the computerized registration process to be carried out without the need for an external power source. Thus, the buses are able to reach remote affected areas where electricity may not always be readily available.

Registration points are located a few kilometers from each other and IOM Sri Lanka are chosen based on their accessibility and the waiting space available in the immediate vicinity – at times, several hundreds of people line up 1,around Police Parkthe bus waiting to be registered! In general, the buses spend Place/31,one or Policetwo days at each registration point, depending on the number of Parkpeople Avenue that need to be registered in the area. Colombo 05

FollowingTelephone: completion of registration in each district, a district information 11 cell535/5361941 will be established in the respective District Secretariats to facilitate theFax: sharing and updating of the information gathered. Each district 11database 5240401 will be managed locally by the information cell staff. People who were unable to register during the mobile process will be able to registerE-mail: at the Secretariat of their district once the information cell has [email protected] been established. www.iom.int Transport activities With funding from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department, IOM maintains IOM Sri Lanka a vehicle fleet of 50 trucks, each with a cargo capacity of 10 metric tonnes. Transport assistance is continuously provided to government agencies, IOs, NGOs and other donors at no cost to the recipients. IOM transport activities during the months of December and January included:

Trucks were dispatched 285 times to tsunami affected areas on behalf of other agencies. Some of these activities include: • 57 trucks transported medicines and medical equipment from the Colombo Medical Supplies Division to warehouses around Colombo as well as to hospitals in affected areas throughout the country for the Ministry of Health • 49 trucks transported fishing boats and motors to Ampara, tiles and building materials to Hambantota for CARE International • 42 Trucks distributed food across the island for the World Food Program • 35 trucks transported construction materials, bicycles and furniture to Killinochi, Mannar and Vavuniya for the Dutch refugee organization ZOA • 30 trucks transported cement to Matara for TAFREN/RADA

Other organizations to benefit from IOM transport services in the past months include Caritas, Action Contre la Faim, AmeriCares, Handicap International, Merlin, St. Patrick’s College of Jaffna, Medicos del Mundo of Spain, UNHCR, UNHIC and GOAL.

IOM also provided 67 prime movers with trailers for 40ft high cube containers to transport timber donated by OXFAM to various warehouses and projects all over the island. In addition trucks carrying various building materials were dispatched 78 times to different IOM construction Trucks lined up to transport goods sites in the country.

Sri Lankan refugees returning from India

IOM supports people previously living in Sri Lanka, who fled from the conflict to India, and now wish to return home. IOM assists returnees to reintegrate back into society. IOM provides transport from the point of entry to their home towns, orientation and counseling, health examinations, temporary shelter and financial support for six months following the return. IOM also assists with training and other livelihood support to help people gain a sustainable income.

In the month of December, IOM assisted in the return from India for a total of 200 persons, including 52 families and 80 children.

In January, IOM completed the production of a documentary film on IOM’s work with refugees returning from India. The film is now available and will be used in awareness workshops, as well as to inform donors, government officials and other stakeholders of the reintegration process and IOM’s work.

Family at Bandaranaike Intl. Airport, having just returned from India Skills enhancement programme for immigration officers IOM Sri Lanka IOM in full cooperation with the Immigration and Emigration Department has designed and delivered a Skills Enhancement Programme for Authorized Officers (AO). The AOs are duty officers at the port of entry and exit and in managing borders. Increased knowledge in administration and application of current regulations and best practices will greatly enhance the enforcement aspect of border management.

In December, IOM concluded a series of six-day training courses. A total of seventy AOs participated. To ensure maximum impact, the AOs were trained in small groups of 12. The course was conducted by IOM trained immigration trainers with cooperation from Colombo based diplomatic missions, particularly the British, Canadian and Australian. The course modules covered aspects of the legal framework; migration management; document examinations; general administration; the roles and responsibilities of AOs; computerized border control systems; airline ticketing; and visa procedures and endorsements. Sri Lankan refugees returning from India at Bandaranaike International Airport Support to IDPs in

IOM provides reintegration assistance and community support to persons internally displaced by the conflict in Jaffna district. Working with local authorities and with the assistance of the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department, IOM has already helped over 3,000 internally displaced families reintegrate back into their communities. In the months of December and January, IOM worked to acquire and de-mine plots of land for the construction of 500 shelters for persons displaced by the conflicts. IOM is communicating with Sri Lankan Army officials and government agents in Jaffna in attempts to expedite the process. The Danish de-mining agency was also contacted to aid in the task. To date, 18 acres of proposed land has been de-mined. However, some assigned shelter plots proved to be prone to flooding, and thus alternative plots of land in higher areas were identified for the beneficiaries.

Countering irregular migration through grassroots awareness

The programme targets regions of high outward migration through its lively and creative information and media campaigns. The campaign provides IOM Sri Lanka potential irregular migrants with realistic information about their migration options and explains the possible 1, Police Park consequences of taking irregular migration routes. Place/31, Police During the month of January, IOM organised a series Park Avenue Colombo 05 of information campaigns to counter irregular migration. On January 31, a workshop was held in Telephone: Ampara district on labor migration and related issues. 11 535/5361941 More than 60 people participated, including employees Fax: from the Government Agent’s office, local officers at 11 5240401 the district secretariat level, and representatives from E-mail: various community based organizations, and local and [email protected] international NGOs based in Ampara.

www.iom.int Participants attending and registering for workshop on labour migration in Ampara IOM Sri Lanka Migration health

IOM coordinates health activities such as health monitoring, assessments and education campaigns in areas affected by high levels of internal migration, conflict or the 2004 tsunami. IOM, working with the Janasetha Foundation, a local NGO in the free trade zone at Katunayake, completed an awareness project on HIV/AIDS in December 2005. Through this project, 108 selected workers, representing different workgroups, have been trained in HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and protection issues. Training included a two day residential training course conducted by a qualified medical doctor and a communication skills expert. The trained workers will proceed to further disseminate information to some 9000 internal migrant workers in the free trade zone, using posters, manuals and leaflets which have been provided by IOM. In December, the project also completed a string of 50 awareness raising sessions which were attended by more than 1800 people. Using flip charts, videos, brochures and other materials, participants were taught about issues relating to HIV/AIDS. Additionally, 50 street drama shows were conducted during the implementation period, reaching nearly 10,000 people.

Migration information hotline Introduction of new entry and exit stamp for immigration IOM’s Migration Information Hotline remains open to callers five days a week. In the past two months, IOM received 62 calls. As a part of IOM Sri Lanka’s capacity Queries generally range from how to get information on working building activities for the Immigration abroad, missing family member working overseas, how to tell and Emigration Department (IED), the authenticity of a job contact and how to find a reliable agent. new secure entry and exit stamps An evaluation of the hotline calls received, reveals that more have been developed. The new and more Sri Lankans are now trying to reach the west and stamps are manufactured in Australia other affluent countries in search of lucrative employment, and will help address the problem of giving only second preference to the traditional Middle East forgery and misuse. In-built security destinations. Some, in desperation, fall prey to bogus operators, features and an individual number who unscrupulously deprive them from large sums of money assigned for each immigration officer and even abandon them. Many people fail to understand the will contribute to better border control difference between a visit visa and an employment visa. The in Sri Lanka. The new stamps are consequences of overstaying on a visa or breaching visa now available in Sri Lanka, and will be conditions are realized only when they are penalized. These put into use in the near future. findings suggest a tremendous need for continuation of IOM’s information campaigns and awareness programmes.

IOM Sri Lanka has received generous contributions from

The Governments of Australia (DIMA), China, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Portugal, Poland, South Korea; American Red Cross, AusAID, Australian Red Cross, European Commission, Lanka Marketing and Research Bureau, UK Foreign CommonWealth Office, UK Home Office European Refugee Fund, UNAIDS, UNICEF, World Vision, and various private donors.