Joint Humanitarian Update NORTH EAST | SRI LANKA JAFFNA, KILINOCHCHI, MULLAITIVU, MANNAR, VAVUNIYA and TRINCOMALEE DISTRICTS Report # 18 | 16 - 29 January 2010 Displacement after April 2008 IDP situation as reported by the Government Agents as of 22 January 2010 IDPs Between 1 April 2008 and 22 January 2010 Vavuniya Camps: 101,646 107,258 people are accommodated in temporary camps. Mannar Camps: 1,950 Jaffna Camps: 3,662 RELEASES & RETURNS 29,008 people have been released from temporary camps into host Releases: families and elders’ homes as of 20 January 2010. The majority of these people are elders, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. Returns to places of origin: 159,495 have been returned to Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar, Trincomalee, Batticaloa, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Ampara, Kandy and Polonnaruwa districts between 5 August and 22 January 2010. 1 United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Sri Lanka | Joint Humanitarian Update | 2010 | Web site: http://www.hpsl.lk Joint Humanitarian Update NORTH EAST | SRI LANKA I. Situation Overview & highlights • The 2010 Presidential Elections concluded on 26 January, with official results announced on 27 January. The incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa claimed victory with 57.88% of the votes, while the opposition common candidate General Sarath Fonseka received 40.15%. Out of a total of 14,088,500 registered voters, 10,495,451 (74.50%) exercised their right during the elections. • On 29 January, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon expressed relief that Sri Lanka’s Presidential Elections concluded relatively free of violence and he reiterated his call to the country’s political parties to abide by the official results and to pursue any concerns peacefully. • From 18 and 20 January, the UN Resident Coordinator / Humanitarian Coordinator (RC / HC) visited Vavuniya and Killinochchi. He held meetings with the UN District Team, the Inter-Agency group, military authorities and the Government Agents of Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya. Furthermore, the RC/HC visited Nedunkerny, Puliyankulam (Vavuniya north) and Poonakary (Killinochchi), where he observed the current conditions of returnees, the progress of humanitarian demining operations and existing basic services. • Funding shortfalls from February for agencies operating in Menik Farm is expected to affect provision of services, including water bowsering, maintenance of sanitation facilities, provision of complementary food and education among others. Some services provided by the government may also be reduced, especially those supported by agencies. • The pass system continues in Menik Farm. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 persons are out of the camp at any one time. Mobility of IDPs has significantly improved with more than 270,000 passes issued between 1 December 2009 and mid-January 2010. Procedures for obtaining passes continue to vary between zones of the camp. • Some 527 adults suspected of association with LTTE have were released from government rehabilitation centres in Vavuniya in mid January. Of them, 191 individuals joined their families in Menik Farm and have been included in the ongoing assistance programme for IDPs. Others have proceeded to areas where their relatives have already returned. A release document with a three-month validity is issued by the Police on release, both confirming their release and serving as a proof of identity. • Returns to the Vanni were suspended during the election period. The first post-election convoy took place on 2 February to Poonakary, Kilinochchi District. • The Government Agent (GA) Mullaitivu carried out consultations with returnees in Thunukkai, Manthai East and Oddusudan Divisional Secretariat Divisions (DSD). The humanitarian community was also invited. Most returnees expressed satisfaction being able to restart their lives in their areas of origin, although several challenges were highlighted including: insufficient basic services; transportation limitations; damaged or destroyed properties and shelters; the need for cleaning of wells and secondary road cleaning, etc. Some returnee families reported that dependants were sent to more populated and serviced locations, as a result of the difficult conditions. The significant army presence was also highlighted. Indications of tensions among communities arriving at different stages of the return process had surfaced with the civil administration indicating that it would strengthening its role to support resolution of disputes. • Mine action operations continue across the Vanni through non-technical surveys and demining, with the Ministry of Nation Building and Estate Infrastructure Development continuing to allocate areas of work to agencies. Residential areas are being given priority to help expedite resettlement. If hazardous areas are identified in villages or immediate surroundings, mine clearance is initiated, whereas other areas may be demarcated for clearance in a later phase. The District Mine Action Office, supported by UNDP, carries out Quality Assurance throughout the process and the release document is signed by the Government Agent. Agencies have started pilot initiatives to establish community liaison focal points to strengthen mine risk education and risk management capacity at village level. 2 United Nations Office of the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator Sri Lanka | Joint Humanitarian Update | 2010 | Web site: http://www.hpsl.lk Joint Humanitarian Update NORTH EAST | SRI LANKA II. Sector Overview & highlights SHELTER / NFI Return Areas: • IOM and UNOPS are engaged in provision of temporary and semi-permanent shelters in areas of return. The capacity for shelter construction in return areas is limited, and the need for more partners to support returned population in the sector is becoming more urgent. The most vulnerable across the return districts are being prioritized. The Vavuniya Protection Working Group finalised recommendations on selection of beneficiaries for transitional shelters. National guidelines on beneficiary selection are also under discussion at the Colombo level, to ensure that that criteria for beneficiary selection for different programs (UN-HABITAT, World Bank and Asian Development Bank) for construction of permanent shelters is in line with other shelter projects. Implementation of UN-HABITAT projects is due to start in February 2010. Mannar: • Partners are preparing for IDP returns to Madhu. Access remains a challenge in providing shelter assistance, particularly in Manthai West and Musali and broader agency involvement is needed to meet the urgent needs of returnees. Vavuniya: • No maintenance of tents and shelters was done in the reporting period. Only two agencies have funding through the end of February. An assessment of shelter maintenance needs is scheduled for February. • Over 700 IDPs who were transferred at the end of November from the Pulmoddai Camp in Trincomalee remain in Zone 5, pending release for return to their places of origin. The Shelter sector has requested the zonal commander to transfer them to empty shelters in another zone, and include them in the regular distribution of relief items. • The zonal commander for Site 7 has requested agencies to decommission shelters in 2 of the 5 blocks. It is expected that this site will be used for hosting IDPs suspected of affiliation with the LTTE. • Discussion with the camp authorities is ongoing on progressive closure of zones, as return progresses. The Vavuniya Inter-Sector Group recommended that – after the Zones 0 and 1 - Zone 3 would be the preferred location option because of shelter conditions, WASH and other services availability. If an additional zone is required, Zone 4 is being recommended. Tents in Zone 4 are approximately one month newer than those in Zone 2 and, generally, in better condition. Continued monitoring and support to ensure no overcrowding as well as adequate service levels for health, water and sanitation, etc. as well as for other priorities such as child-protection and psychosocial support is required. • The Shelter sector has discussed assistance to IDPs staying with host families with local government authorities. In cases where IDPs do not have a separate room in the host family’s house, it was agreed to provide an initial basic shelter similar to those in Menik Farm. For IDPs unable to return home in the near future, subsequent assistance, in the form of an extension to the host family’s house or a transitional shelter, was suggested. Three hundred and sixty six basic shelters have been constructed for IDPs staying with host families. • NFIs for IDPs in Menik Farm were replenished in November 2009. Ongoing provision of hygiene kits, normally issued every two months, has become a potential gap as only UNICEF has indicated that they will continue hygiene kits after May. The frequency of distribution and the contents of the hygiene kits may be revised unless other actors come on board in time. • There is also a gap in baby kits, which were provided by three agencies, which have indicated that funding shortfalls. WASH Jaffna District (including return areas): • Agencies planning for latrine construction in return areas include UNICEF (Velanai DSD), IOM and Child Fund (Kayts DSD including 36 pre-schools); NRC and DRC (Tellipallai DSD) and UMCOR, which will cover the gaps in WASH facilities and complement the shelter response. • As at 18 January, the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) together with WASH partners