Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Team IASC Colombo Sri Lanka SITUATION REPORT # 60 KILINOCHCHI, MULLAITIVU, VAVUNIYA, MANNAR, BATTICALOA & AMPARA 25 January – 01 February 2007 KILINOCHCHI & MULLAITIVU DISTRICTS Situation update • The general situation in Kilinochchi town has been calm with the exception of short and sporadic shelling in the north, Muhamalai FDL areas during the evenings. On 30 January there were aerial bombardments in the Puthukkudiyiruppu area. • On 30 January, the TRO organized a token hunger strike in front of their office in Kilinochchi town. This was an appeal for the release of their staff who disappeared one year ago. • On 30 January, the GA Kilinochchi reported that the quantity of cement (five bags of cement per temporary toilet) approved by the Ministry of Defence for the construction of temporary toilets at an IDP settlement was denied transportation through the Omanthai FDL in to the Vanni by the security forces. • President of the Jaffna Multi Purpose Co-Operative Society (MPCS) S. T. Gananathan, aged 64, was shot dead near the Mampalam junction in Ariyalai, Jaffna around 6.30 AM on 01 February 2007. The MPSC is responsible for the distribution of food in the district. Internally Displaced Persons • The AGA-Puthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu district) reports that 212 families (737 persons) from Vaharai (some from Batticaloa district and the others from Muttur) arrived in the division within the last three weeks of January. Sector Response Shelter • During the course of the week, Hudec-Caritas supplied temporary shelter material to 60 displaced families living with host families in Thirunagar village, Kilinochchi. • Solidar through RRDO (Rural Research and Development Organization- a local NGO based in Kilinochchi) has implemented a temporary shelter construction programme in Paranthan where 115 families were accommodated with friends and family. The unloading of this shelter material started last week and has been given to 16 beneficiaries. • UNOPS has commenced purchasing raw materials for the UNHCR temporary shelter project, which aims to build 500 temporary shelters in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. This week, UNOPS purchased timber for 100 temporary shelters and FORUT, the second shelter and watsan partner of UNHCR is also stock piling material. • On 31 January, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) transported two lorry loads of timber through the Omanthai FDL for its temporary shelter programme in the Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts. During their reporting period, DRC also distributed timber for 150 temporary shelters to IDPs living in the Thikkuvil and Arsapuram areas in Poonakary division. Water and Sanitation IASC CT Secretariat (UNOCHA) 202-204, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka. Tel: +94 - 11 - 4528689 Ext. 384 / Fax: +94 - 11 - 4528690 Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Team IASC Colombo Sri Lanka • As of 31 January, Solidar had constructed 21 units of latrines at four locations (Kandawalai, Paranthan, Korakkankaddu and Punnaineeravi) in Kandawalai division. • UNICEF is making arrangements to build 600 temporary toilets using locally purchased material through UNOPS and Solidar at IDP relocation sites in both districts. UNICEF also monitored the status of 276 temporary toilets that are been constructed by Solidar in Kandawalai and Poonakary AGA divisions. Education • As of 30 February, UNICEF with the support of the Zonal Director of Education (ZDE) Kilinochchi has constructed play areas at 29 schools. This will benefit 7,300 displaced children in both districts. Two temporary learning spaces (100’x20’) are in progress at the Uduppukkulam and Thevipuram schools (Mullaitivu district). Thirty six learning spaces have been put up in schools to accommodate more displaced children since August. Last week, UNICEF conducted rapid needs assessments on the needs of the children in relocated schools in the districts. • Solidar constructed one temporary pre-school at the Kalmadunagar IDP settlement (Kilinochchi district) where they built 130 temporary shelters for the displaced last week. NFRIs • On 26 January, UNHCR together with FORUT distributed NFRI packages to 85 newly arrived IDP families (from Vaharai) in Puthukkudiyiruppu division. • On 29 January, UNICEF together with Solidar, DRC, SCiSL (Save the Children in Sri Lanka) and UNHCR delivered NFRIs to 539 IDP families living in the Sundikkulam and Kevil villages in Vadamaradchchi East division. The distribution was made through Solidar and a local NGO (VEDRO - Vadamaradchchi East Development and Rehabilitation Organization) working in the division. Due to security concerns the UN and INGOs were restricted from traveling to this area. • An issue at the moment is the difficulty all UN/INGOs undergo in replenishing their NFRI stocks. Procedures between the CGES (Commissioner General of Essential Services) and the MoD are lengthy and none of the UN or ICRC offices managed to bring in items. Health and Nutrition • Last week UNOPS restarted construction on a maternity ward of the Mullaitivu general hospital. The construction which commenced at the beginning of 2006 was funded by UNICEF and stalled as a result of the renewed conflict. Construction material such as cement and steel are being purchased locally (at different prices) and 75 per cent of the work is complete. • DPDHS (Deputy Provincial Director of Health Services) - Mullaitivu reports that two lorry loads of drugs, vaccines and surgical dressing items from the 4th quarter allocation for 2006 is still waiting in Vavuniya for MoD permission. Sixteen Oxygen cylinders are also lying in Vavuniya awaiting MoD permission. In Kilinochchi district, due to delays in getting the necessary MoD permission to transport items in to the Vanni, 50 per cent of the 4th quarter medicines of 2006 including surgical, clinical and dressing items have been stored in Vavuniya. • The past week, 30 Rural Health Assistants supported by UNICEF, provided maternal health services to 250 pregnant and lactating women in 30 health centers in both districts. Food • The food convoy details for Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu districts by CGES (Commissioner General for Essential Services), Macs (Multipurpose Co-operative Societies) and WFP have been tabled as follows. IASC CT Secretariat (UNOCHA) 202-204, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka. Tel: +94 - 11 - 4528689 Ext. 384 / Fax: +94 - 11 - 4528690 Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Team IASC Colombo Sri Lanka Kilinochchi District: Date Food Items (in MT) transported Wheat Sugar Dhal Soap Cooking NFRI Ingredients flour items Oil Macs 26-01-2007 - - - 0.25 11.98 18.56 8.2 27-01-2007 - - - - - 5.5 6.9 WFP 26-01-2007 45 - 25 - - - - 27-01-2007 - - 27.5 - - - - CGES 27-01-2007 - 80 - - - - - Mullaitivu district: Date Food Items (in MT) transported Wheat Sugar Dhal Milk Cooking NFRI Ingredients flour Food Oil Macs 23-01-2007 - 2.5 - 0.06 31.7 16 25-01-2007 5.75 - 8.075 13.15 • The past week, WFP purchased 200 MT of rice locally for the dry ration distribution for the displaced Mullaitivu district. Similar procurement arrangements are on going in Kilinochchi. Food security • FAO is implementing several programmes under this sector. As a part of these activities, FAO aims to support small scale food security activities in support of IDPs and Host communities. Currently FAO is supporting two schools (Barratry Vidyalayam and Thiruvaiaru Vidyalayam in Kilinochchi) with the provision of school gardens kits. Capacity building • On 30 January, FAO through Department of Fisheries distributed furniture to five fishermen corporative societies functioning in Poonakary division under a capacity development programme of vulnerable societies. VAVUNIYA AND MANNAR DISTRICTS Situation update • The security situation in Vavuniya remains very bad, with continued daily reports of killings and claymore attacks. There has also been far more security checks of UN vehicles at police and military checkpoints (particularly at Mathawachchi) and thus hindering humanitarian response. • On 29 January a meeting took place at the Kachcheri to discuss the assistance required in Vavuniya north. A number of IDPs displaced last August have not been resettled and provided with temporary shelter yet because of delays in getting construction materials into uncleared areas. Schools and health clinics are poorly resourced and there are few livelihood schemes in the area. A number of agencies have planned activities in the area that have been delayed, where as others intend to make assessments to fill possible gaps. Internally Displaced Persons IASC CT Secretariat (UNOCHA) 202-204, Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka. Tel: +94 - 11 - 4528689 Ext. 384 / Fax: +94 - 11 - 4528690 Inter-Agency Standing Committee Country Team IASC Colombo Sri Lanka • The IDP figures have remained stable at 5,586 IDPs in Vavuniya and 9,957 IDPs in Mannar. There have been reports of IDP movements from the uncleared areas on Mannar district due to the LTTE’s forced conscription in Manthai west and Musali divisions. • There has not been a return of the police that were previously stationed at the long term IDP welfare centres at Poonthoddam and Sithamparampuram despite efforts by the Government Agent, UNHCR and the Human Rights Commission to get them reinstated. According to the Deputy Inspector General (DIG), the police have had to be redeployed elsewhere in the district because of the deteriorating security situation. This will be reassessed in the coming weeks if the situation normalises. The