The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Tsunami Recovery Operation in Sri Lanka Issue 4: Jan 20Th 2006 - Feb 20Th 2006
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The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement Tsunami Recovery operation in Sri Lanka Issue 4: Jan 20th 2006 - Feb 20th 2006 International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies ICRC Update Update The Red Cross Red Crescent Movement in Sri Lanka is comprised of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (Federation), the Inter- national Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and 23 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Federation Special Representative urges Schaar also said that humanitarian agencies should not flexible approach to meet beneficiary needs be surprised at some of the problems and issues that need to be overcome, given the scale and complex- On a recent visit to Sri Lanka, Johan Schaar, the Federa- ity of the overall recovery effort. “The resources avail- tion’s Special Representative for the Tsunami Operation, able for post-tsunami recovery do not make them go highlighted the need for humanitarian actors engaged in away”, he explained. “The humanitarian community has post-tsunami recovery to be pragmatic in their efforts to learnt a lot during the past year and as the Red Cross assist the most vulnerable communi- Red Crescent, we need to look at ties. During his five day visit, Schaar these lessons and be very open was able to visit Red Cross projects to combining our resources within in Trincomalee and Kilinochichi. In the Movement as well as seeking his appraisal of the Red Cross Red partnerships with others. The end Crescent recovery operation he said result will lead to greater impact in that programming should react and our programmes.” adapt to the changing realities on the ground without being constrained by On a final note of caution, Schaar solutions that may no longer be rel- stressed that while the post-tsu- evant or appropriate. nami response is clearly into the reconstruction and rehabilitation “We should be flexible and open to stage, it is important to remember change, this means identifying and that there are still people facing adopting the most successful, quick Federation Special Representative - Johan Schaar emergency needs which should and people-centred approaches in our programming.” not be overlooked. As well meeting long term targets Schaar also stressed the need for greater efforts to be in areas such as housing and livelihoods, ensuring that made in advocacy. “We must remember the people who people who remain in temporary shelters have clean wa- are clearly marginalised and have little or no voice; the ter and decent sanitation, should be a priority. Red Cross Red Crescent Movement should be prepared to speak out on their behalf to make sure their needs and rights are respected.” HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS HIG According to Schaar, the biggest challenge currently Upgrading of transitional shelters continues P. 2 is to deliver the kind of sustainable reconstruction and rehabilitation projects that people genuinely want. “We FOCUS on Community Based Health P. 3 cannot take short cuts however eager we are to help”, he cautioned. “Our success will be judged five years Mushroom cultivation helps restore livelihoods in Kalutara P. 4 from now on whether there are people living in the com- New unit to strengthen community participation P. 5 munities that we have built and whether those people have secure livelihoods”. 1 Upgrading of WatSan facilities continues families. The assessment team will determine the need at temporary shelter sites to continue distributions of relief items which are due to end this month. As well as improving conditions in the Almost thirty short term projects across 7 districts are un- camps by installing additional water taps, showers, toi- derway or have been completed to assist in the task of lets and sewage systems, the Canadian Red Cross has maintaining and upgrading water and sanitation facilities provided families with hygiene kits, milk and sugar sup- in temporary camps. These works include the construc- plements as well as sleeping mattresses. tion of bunds to prevent flooding at sites, construction of toilets and drainage facilities and installation of water storage tanks. In Hambantota, the Australian Red Cross recently con- structed a 20-meter long bund along the fence line at the ‘Muslim IDP camp’ site to prevent flooding. They have also constructed toilets, installed water storage tanks and showers and improved drainage facilities at the camp. The Australian Red Cross continues to provide 11,000 liters of drinking water daily to tsunami-affected families in the Hathugalle IDP camp, benefiting a total of 500 peo- ple. In Trincomalee District, the Hong Kong branch of the Red Cross Society of China has constructed toilets and wells, and has installed storage tanks at 3 sites. A Federation WatSan engineer puts the finishing touches to an artificial The French Red Cross is upgrading 120 latrines and wetland that will provide natural treatment to camp effluent. has cleared a 2km stretch of blocked drainage systems in two camps in Kumari in Ampara District. The French Red Cross is also establishing a water production plant Federation collaborates with IWMI on in Sammanthurai following an outbreak of Hepatitis A in WatSan training the area. The Federation is working in five camps in Am- para where improvements are being made to sanitation On 2 February, the Federation co-sponsored a two day facilities, including the construction of waste soakage training session on well monitoring theory and method- pits, piping and provision of a water pump. Similar work ologies, undertaken in cooperation with the Colombo- has been completed in the Al Bahriya Mosque, Dharul based International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Falal School, and Al Hijra School camps – benefiting 405 15 participants underwent the training including 6 Feder- families. ation water and sanitation project officers from Ampara, Galle and Matara. The training included sessions on mi- Also in Ampara, the German Red Cross is active at 8 cro-biological testing and instruction in equipment to test sites across the Addalachenai Division, where it has water salinity and conductivity. Researchers from IWMI cleaned a total of 244 wells, upgraded and reconstructed also explained to participants how to detect the preva- 98 shelters and provided repair kits to 220 families. The lence of mosquito larvae in household wells. The Red German Red Cross continues to produce over 200,000 Cross Red Crescent has an extensive well cleaning pro- liters of water per day from two water production plants gramme that includes monitoring of water quality. This in Ampara, most of which is taken by water bowsers to programme has focused on the North and East and will supply temporary camps in the district. The German Red soon be expanded to include Galle and Matara districts. Cross has also upgraded 194 shelters in Mullaitivu after the flooding that took place in November. In the Poduyaya camp in Angulana, the Federation has completed construction of 2 new soakage pits and 2 new water points. The improvements will benefit 170 families living in the camp. At Dodalla camp in Galle District where 50 families presently live, a shower area and soakage pits were constructed. Drainage facilities were improved or constructed at the Morakola camp in Galle and at the Gemunu camp in Matara. The Canadian Red Cross and the SLRCS Colombo City branch are undertaking an assessment of transitional camps in Colombo city. The St-Meris’s, Bonvistar and Vistwik camps built by the government and managed by In the North and East, Red Cross teams have cleaned over 5500 the SLRCS are hosting a total of 233 tsunami affected household wells since the tsunami 2 Permanent Housing Update The Red Cross Red Crescent Community Based Health The Red Cross Red Crescent permanent housing pro- Programme (CBHP) is currently being implemented in 14 gramme is progressing well with close to 2000 homes districts across Sri Lanka. Working mostly in rural areas, currently under various stages of construction. In Trin- trained Red Cross Community Health volunteers and comalee, the Japanese Red Cross is near to completing Community Health promoters are acting to maintain ef- 53 houses on the Ranjith Kodikara site where 60 homes ficient health services through a variety of programmes. will be built. In February the Japanese Red Cross togeth- Working closely with government health officials, the er with the SLRCS held a ground-breaking ceremony at CBH teams aim to reduce communicable diseases, pro- the 5th Mile Post site where work commences this week vide maternal care and offer First Aid services. on a further 71 houses. In Batticaloa the Irish Red Cross has begun construction on 50 houses at Arayanpathi and ‘The main aim of the project is to reduce vulnerability the Federation has completed foundations for 16 houses to disease by empowering communities to achieve and at Uriyankaddu where 58 homes will be built. The Irish sustain good health’, says Dr.Lanka Dissanayake, the Red Cross is also working on the Janaraja Vidyalaya site Executive Director for Health at the SLRCS. in Kalutara where construction has been completed up to the first floor level on 64 two-storey apartments. At the Districts and divisions targeted under the Commu- Lagos Watta 2 site in Kalutara, the Spanish Red Cross nity Based Health Programme are carefully selected is building 69 houses out which 20 have been completed through a process know as Participatory Rapid Assess- up to roof level. In Matara district the 18 houses being ment (PRA) – followed by a baseline study prior to the built by the Federation at Kananke Watte will be com- commencement of the project. A Red Cross community pleted by the end of March and at another site at Kon- based health framework has been developed for projects gala Hena, 24 foundations have been laid and block across the island, to guide project implementation and work has reached up to roof level on 12 houses.