International Organization for Migration

Sri Lanka: Tsunami Response Programme Situation Report # 47

International 30 July 2005 - 15 August 2005 Organization for Migration Transitional Housing for Tsunami Survivors IOM is providing transitional houses for thousands of Sri Lankans who lost their homes in the tsunami on 26 December 2004. Transitional houses are designed to last between two and four years. They serve as temporary homes while permanent houses and infrastructure are re-constructed in the country. Where possible, IOM builds temporary houses on people's own land, allowing them to return to their home environments and communities. However, in order to protect Sri Lankans from possible tsunamis in the future, the government has banned the construction of homes within at least 100 metres, and in some areas up to 200 metres, of the shore. As a result, many families need to be relocated. When people's land is located within the coastal buffer zone, IOM constructs transitional houses in clusters on alternative land-sites allocated by the government.

With funding from Japan, the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), Greece, and China, IOM has now completed more than 3,000 The remains of a school in transitional homes island wide. district reflect the impact of December’s IOM also builds communal areas, pre-schools, play grounds, administration tsunami. offices and health centres at transitional housing sites. On some sites, IOM provides toilets, showers and other water and sanitation services, while on other occasions it is done through cooperation with other agencies in the districts.

In the first two weeks of August, IOM finished 403 transitional houses and an additional 512 are currently under construction (for district wise statistics refer to table below).

No. of transitional Total no. of transitional Total no. of transit. District acc. completed acc. currently under acc. Completed to during the reporting construction date period 16 8 16 32 4 398

Matara 19 210 IOM Ampara 213 334 1147 1, Police Park 75 47 957 Place / 31, Police Park Avenue, 76 123 401 Colombo 05 Total 403 512 3161

Tel: 11 535/536 1941 Fax: 11 5340401 To date, land has been allocated for IOM to build a total of 3,910 transitional homes in E-mail: [email protected] seven districts. The organization is prepared to undertake further construction and assist in upgrading work as requested. www..iom.int/tsunami 1 Within the reporting period, IOM concluded its construction work in by finishing a total of 20 additional toilets and showers on two sites and a remaining four transitional houses. However, IOM was subsequently asked to build transitional houses for 50 additional families. Discussions began with district government officials, preliminary land assessments were undertaken and IOM is currently preparing the required documents for construction to commence. On 8 August, an opening ceremony was held at a transitional housing site constructed for 28 families at the Weragampita Temple in . The ceremony was attended by the Secretary to the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance, Dr. P.B. Jayasundara, who officially opened the site. Other participants included the Divisional Secretary, the district's Government Agent, the Chief Executive Officer of TAFREN, IOM staff, local press Opening and residents of the site. In addition, ceremony at the Buddhist monks from the nearby temple Weragampita site conducted spirit chanting to bless the site in Matara. and its new population.

Management of Transitional Housing Sites and Emergency Camps

IOM continues to provide management services for IOM-supported emergency camps and transitional housing sites. Activities include inter-agency coordination to ensure sufficient drainage systems, water and electricity supply, regular garbage collection. This also includes support to establish camp management committees, conduct camp management workshops, and other assistance to ensure an environment conducive to mental and physical health. Activities undertaken in the first weeks of August include the installation of additional septic tanks at three transitional housing sites in Kalutara. IOM is in the process of organising regular gully sucker services on seven sites constructed in the district. On two sites, housing a total of 78 families, IOM worked on improving water supplies. This included the installation of larger pipes on one site. A tube well, a water-pump and a water stand and tank for bathing and drinking water was provided at the second site. Also, at a transitional site built for 26 families at Pulinatharamaya temple, IOM is in the process of building small dams and a cemented drainage canal to prevent flooding. Following a request from the Divisional Secretary, IOM funded a training programme for committees of transitional settlements in Matara, which was carried out in cooperation with the local NGO Sevalanka and the Christian Children's Fund. IOM held meetings with residents of three temporary housing sites to help them select representatives and discuss the scope of their responsibilities. On 11 August a workshop was held to brainstorm on issues of concern at transitional housing sites and possible solutions. Interactive sessions were held on four issues; safety and security, site maintenance, health concerns and psychosocial/child protection issues. The sessions were led by experts in the these fields, including representatives from the organising agencies, a police officer, health workers and people involved in adult and children's programmes. The workshop A workshop was was attended by 62 representatives of eight held in Matara on transitional communities in the district. issues relating to transitional Also in Matara, residents were trained in how settlements. to use fire-extinguishers provided at three2 housing sites.

Tsunami Survivors Move Back Home in

Sri Lanka’s southeast bore the brunt of December’s devastating tsunami - but many survivors are finding new hope and new beginnings as the impoverished region emerges from disaster. “When I saw a huge black wave heading towards me I really thought the world was ending,” says Y. Varaluxmy, recalling the day that towering waves claimed the life of her 68-year-old mother and reduced her family’s home to nothing but rubble. “However now that we’re out of the emergency camp and back on our own land I feel like we have a second chance at life,” said Varaluxmy, who recently moved into an IOM transitional home in Ampara district.

“I was miserable in the camps because it was so hot and crowded, and I never had any privacy,” said Varaluxmy’s 20- year-old son Y. Kamalathasan, looking up from a desk topped with books, a reading lamp, and a vase of flowers. “Now I have space to study without being disturbed and I can give myself the skills and education to make a better life,” said Kamalathasan, adding that he feels much more safe and secure in his sturdy new accommodation.

Kamalathasan’s neighbour, 37-year-old T. Suvendra was working in a rice field when he saw a huge wave sweeping towards his home – and his pregnant wife and child. “When I saw a wave as tall as a coconut tree heading towards my village I was sure my wife would never manage to survive because she was heavily pregnant at the time,” said Suvendra.

While his house was destroyed, Suvendra’s wife did escape the waves and today the couple are the proud parents of a six-month-old baby girl and a two-year-old toddler. “I was so worried and upset when my wife had to give birth in a cramped emergency camp,” said Suvendra, as he dangled a plastic doll in front of his young daughter.

“My children suffered terribly from the constant heat, and my oldest child was so unhappy that she stopped eating and talking. But now our house is surrounded by shady trees, and as our neighbours move into their own temporary homes the kids are all back playing with their old friends and happy once again,” he said.

Suvendra, Varaluxmy and Kamalathasan were all able to move into transitional houses on their own land, where they will reside while waiting for permanent houses to be built. They say they’ll never forget the sight of the massive wall of water bearing down on their homes - but they all agree that with IOM’s help they’re a step closer to putting the tragic events of last December behind them.

T. Suvendra and his family outside their transitional home Kamalathasan can again concentrate on his studies

IOM Sri Lanka

1, Police Park Supporting Recovery through Livelihood Restoration and Development Place / 31, Police Park Avenue, Following the disaster, IOM began a programme to help restore and develop the livelihoods Colombo 05 of tsunami-affected people. This is done through the replacement of lost or damaged tools and equipment and through training programmes. Tel: 11 535/536 1941 In the first weeks of August, IOM started livelihood projects with 219 tsunami-affected Fax: 11 5340401 E-mail: people in five districts. People were provided with various tools and materials to help them [email protected] 3 www..iom.int/tsunami

regain sustainable incomes. People assisted included 85 vegetable and high-land cultivators, 31 tailors and seamstresses, 25 mobile traders, and 11 owners of small retail- shops.

To date, a total of 1,615 families have received direct assistance to rebuild their livelihoods. Of these families 394 received assistance through IOM's counter-trafficking programme, as they were identified as single-headed or otherwise extremely vulnerable.

In addition, a considerable number of tsunami-affected people are benefiting from training programmes implemented or financially supported by IOM and through capacity building support provided to local institutions.

Vocational and skills training is a vital component of the livelihood programme and complements the direct assistance provided to beneficiaries. Within the reporting period, 26 beneficiaries who had previously received replacement tools and materials, were given business development and entrepreneurship training as well as occupational safety training.

In the first week of August, IOM's livelihood-coordination team visited Ampara district to meet with local NGOs regarding possible partnerships and to monitor the implementation of livelihood projects in the district. The team met with numerous beneficiaries in order to assess progress and sustainability of the projects. The visits revealed encouraging results regarding income levels. Mr. M.S. Adham-Lebbe was helped to rebuild Many beneficiaries are now making amounts similar to his grocery shop in . those earned prior to the tsunami.

Assisting Tsunami-affected Communities through Psychosocial Support

Since the disaster, IOM has worked consistently towards improving the psychosocial wellbeing of Sri Lanka's coastal communities. Psychosocial activities are monitored and implemented by international camp managers, community health surveillance officers, social mobilizers, and local psychosocial staff under the guidance of the psychosocial team in Colombo. In some cases, local and international partners assist in implementing the psychosocial programme.

In the first weeks of August, psychosocial activities continued in the districts of Kalutara, Matara, Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee.

For example, IOM sponsored the Alcohol and Drug Information Centre, a local NGO, to conduct two-day workshops on alcohol and substance abuse in Ampara (8-9 August), Batticaloa (10-11 August) and Trincomalee (12-13 August). The workshops were attended by IOM field staff and volunteers, local NGO field staff, and Ministry of Health employees, including public health inspectors and mental health nurses. A total of 93 people participated.

IOM Sri Lanka In , IOM continued to work in partnership with the local NGO Voluntary Organization for Vulnerable Community Development to implement psychosocial activities in 1, Police Park transitional communities. In addition, IOM in cooperation with other child-focused agencies, Place / 31, Police Park Avenue, held a festival for 3,000 children from transitional settlements and neighboring communities. Colombo 05 In Batticaloa district, IOM set up playgrounds and sports fields at three transitional housing Tel: 11 535/536 sites. This included swings, slides and see-saws, as well as volleyball and football grounds 1941 and equipment. Around 2000 children and young people from the sites and the surrounding Fax: 11 5340401 E-mail: communities are expected to benefit from the facilities. [email protected] www..iom.int/tsunami 4 In Matara district, an opening ceremony was held for the Sri Lanka Peace and Connectivity Programme in on 30 July. The programme, which is supported and funded by IOM, is a year-long project conducted in partnership with the Centre for Peace Building and Reconciliation (CPBR), a local NGO. IOM is funding the establishment of a computer centre and supporting CPBR to provide computer skills classes to youth living in tsunami-affected areas. Technical expertise is provided by the American NGO Relief International, which is also funding a similar centre in Ampara district. Youth in each district will engage in collaborative projects, using the internet and computer programmes to communicate with each other. The project aims to foster understanding between youth of different ethnic, religious and geographical backgrounds. In all, 1000 youth are expected to upgrade their computer skills and benefit from the programme.

Also in Matara district, IOM installed 16 newspaper reading stands to facilitate access to information for 1535 residents at 11 emergency camps and transitional communities. Additionally, movie screenings were organized at two transitional housing sites. Approximately 400 community members attended the screenings.

In Kalutara district, IOM held consultative meetings with approximately Batticaloa district: Residents of 1250 residents of seven IOM-built transitional housing sites. The an IOM transitional housing meetings were conducted in order to assess psychosocial needs and to site enjoy a new playground. discuss issues concerning team work and gender.

Trincomalee Sunshine Festival, 30-31 July 2005…

For thousands of children in eastern Sri Lanka, a weekend festival provided more than just a chance to play games and dance - it was a rare opportunity to forget for a moment about the tsunami that devastated their communities

Three-thousand kids who lost their homes in the disaster took part in the two-day ‘Sunshine Festival’ in Trincomalee, which aimed to help children overcome some of the mental trauma caused by the tsunami.

The colourful Sunshine festival was organised by IOM and 29 other international agencies, UN organizations, and local NGOs under the umbrella of the Community Empowerment Network – Trincomalee (CENT).

“The festival was a very good experience for me,” said 10-year-old Dinusha. “It gave me the chance to make new friends and talk to other kids who live in the camps, just like me.” “I also enjoyed the traditional dancing and the sack race, and I was the fastest person in my group on the obstacle course,” she added with a wide grin.

“The festival was designed to give children time and space to play and express their emotions, which is so vital if they are to recover from the trauma of losing loved ones and homes in the tsunami,” said IOM’s Beth Whelan. Recreational activities like the Sunshine festival play an important part in strengthening community bonds and restoring a sense of normality for children and adults caught up in the tsunami.

5 “I had so much fun meeting new friends and dancing that I didn’t think about the tsunami even once,” said nine-year-old Dinoja, who took part in traditional dancing and enjoyed theatre performances and local bands. Dinoja’s family escaped the deadly waves, but their home was badly damaged and they spent several months living in a tent before moving into transitional housing, built by the IOM with funding from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Organization (ECHO).

“I like our new house because it’s not hot like the tent and it’s further

away from the sea,” said Dinoja who, like many children and adults in Sri Lanka, still fears another tsunami.

Her fears and worries won’t disappear overnight but by providing her and the other tsunami-affected children with a weekend of fun and relaxation, the Sunshine festival helped her begin the task of rebuilding her self-confidence and well-being.

Eye Camp held in Matara district

IOM in cooperation with the Sri Lankan NGO Sun Flower Children at the Sunshine Festival Village conducted a one-day eye camp in Matara on 1 August, 2005.

A 12 member team participated in the eye camp, including doctors, nurses, optometric and audiometric technicians, and staff from IOM, the Sunflower Village, the Deputy Provincial Director Health Services (DPDHS) and Community Volunteers. The camp focused on screening people displaced by the tsunami for eye problems such as infections, refractive errors and cataracts.

A total of 264 persons were screened, of which 226 were found to have sight problems. Almost 200 people were immediately provided with spectacles, while 17 were registered for spectacles to be provided in the following weeks. Three people were given medical treatment for infections. The team identified cataracts in 10 patients who were subsequently referred to Matara and hospitals for surgery. IOM will provide all items needed by the surgical patients such as intra ocular lenses and

post-operative drugs. Screening for refractive errors, Matara

In addition, two children and two adults were provided with hearing aids following audiometric assessments.

IOM Transport Activities

IOM maintains a vehicle fleet of 83 trucks, each with a cargo capacity of 10 metric tons, and provides ongoing transport assistance to government agencies, IOs, NGOs and other donors operating in tsunami-affected areas, without cost to the recipients. IOM Sri Lanka

1, Police Park In the first two weeks of August, trucks were Place / 31, Police dispatched 38 times to IOM construction sites Park Avenue, and IOM supported camps and communities. Colombo 05 Cargo included various building materials, such Tel: 11 535/536 as cement, planks, roofing sheets, doors and 1941 windows, as well as different tools and Fax: 11 5340401 materials needed for livelihood projects. E-mail: [email protected] www..iom.int/tsunami 6

In the reporting period, IOM trucks were dispatched 140 times to various tsunami-affected areas in the country on behalf of other agencies. Transport assistance included:

• 95 trucks transported medicines and medical equipment from Colombo Medical Supplies Division and Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) to warehouses in Colombo and to tsunami-affected areas throughout the country for the Ministry of Health. • A total of 14 trucks transported cement and mosquito nets to Ampara, and Tupperware and buckets to Trincomalee for UNHCR. • 18 trucks transported boats to Trincomalee and Ampara for CARE International. • Six trucks carried cement to Matara for the Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN). • Five trucks transported roofing sheets and cement to Ampara and plywood to Matara on behalf of GOAL. • One truck carried timber to Ampara for OXFAM. • One truck transported food items to Batticaloa for Action Contre La Faim.

Timber Transportation IOM is providing logistical support and transportation for a large timber shipment donated by OXFAM Australia. The timber, which is used for constructing transitional and permanent housing, is transported to tsunami-affected areas throughout the country on behalf of other receiving agencies.

During the reporting period IOM leased 22 prime movers, each with trailer capacity for a 40ft container. Eleven timber containers were transported to various IOM construction sites in Gampaha (1), Kalutara (1), Ampara (4) and Batticaloa (5) districts. Eight containers were transported to Batticaloa district on behalf of Caritas, two containers were dispatched to Ampara district for GOAL, and one container was sent to Batticaloa district on behalf of Oxfam Community Aid Abroad.

To date, IOM cooperated on tsunami relief activities or provided transport assistance to a range of international FUNDS RECEIVED and national agencies, IOs, NGOs and donors including:

The , Government of Japan, Austria, The IOM Tsunami Response Program in Sri Spain, Ireland, Turkey, Hungary, Russia, ECHO, USAID, DFID, Lanka has received generous contributions UNHCR, WFP, UNJLC, UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNIFEM, UNFPA, from: MSF-France, ONGD Bomberos Unidos Sin Fronteras (Spanish NGO), MDM Spain, Salvation Army, Relief International, Merlin, Assistance Pédagogique Internationale (French NGO), The Government of Japan, Greece, CEYNOR (Norwegian NGO), HELP (German NGO), IFRC, Sri Lankan Red Cross Society, Oxfam, Save the Children, ZOA, ECHO, USAID, Portugal, South Korea, China, Poland and various Swiss Red Cross, French Red Cross, CARE, PARC, ACF, SPIR, VOVCOD, Colombo University, TRO, and Pooncholai, Private Donors. KPNDU, Virutcham, the SewaLanka Foundation, Nawimana South Rural Development Fund, Sarvodaya and the Sunera Foundation (local NGOs).

IOM Sri Lanka

1, Police Park Place / 31, Police Park Avenue, Colombo 05

Tel: 11 535/536 1941 Fax: 11 5340401 E-mail: [email protected] www.iom.int/tsunami IOM Sri Lanka 7

1, Police Park Place / 31, Police PkA